President Biden’s White House on Tuesday formally backed the making of Washington, DC, the union’s 51st state and urged Congress to pass HR 51 legislation to give Washingtonians “long-awaited full representation.”
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said the Biden administration “strongly supports” DC state legislation that would give the district two new senators and a member of Congress.
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“For far too long, the more than 700,000 residents of Washington DC have been denied full representation in the US Congress,” the White House OMB statement said. “This taxation without representation and denial of self-government is an affront to the democratic values on which our nation is founded.
“HR 51 makes this right by making Washington, DC, a state and providing its residents with the long-awaited full representation in Congress, while retaining a federal district that will continue to serve as the seat of our country’s government.”
Biden’s statement of support comes as the House begins voting on Tuesday to approve HR 51.
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser, testifies at the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, on the state of DC, Monday, March 22, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Caroline Brehman / Pool via CQ Roll Call)
Officials and Democrats in DC have identified the state issue as a civil rights issue for residents who are traditionally disenfranchised. But the Republicans are firmly against the state of DC, calling it an unconstitutional Democratic power grab that aims to shift control in the Senate by adding two senators from a liberal stronghold.
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Republicans argue that the creation of the federal enclave is constitutional, so any change to the district must come in the form of a constitutional change – not through Congressional legislation. They have expressed concern about the 23rd Amendment, which earned the district three electoral votes in the presidential electoral college and whether a state could be granted before it was repealed.
But the Biden administration indicated that Congress has the “authority” to expand the size of the union.
The Capitol is on display in Washington Tuesday, January 26, 2021. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
((AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite))
The government looks forward to working with Congress as HR 51 goes through the legislative process to ensure it is consistent with the constitutional responsibilities of Congress and its constitutional authority to admit new states to the union by law. said the White House. “The government calls on Congress to ensure a rapid and orderly transition to a state for the people of Washington, DC”
DC has a population of over 700,000 – more than Wyoming and Vermont – but residents do not have voting members in Congress or have complete control over local affairs. However, according to the 2019 IRS Data Book, the District of Columbia pays more in federal taxes than 21 states and more per capita than any state.
Under the plan, the 51st state would be called “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth,” named after Frederick Douglass. The state would comprise 66 of the 68 square miles of the current federal district.
DC would have full control over local affairs and full representation in Congress, which equates to two senators and one representative in the House based on the current population.
“The creation of Washington State, Douglass Commonwealth, as the 51st state will make our union stronger and fairer,” said the White House. “Washington, DC, has a robust economy, a rich culture, and a diverse population of Americans from all walks of life who are entitled to full and equal participation in our democracy.”
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The state’s legislation, HR 51, has 215 co-sponsors, almost bolstering democratic support in Parliament this week. The Senate version of the bill, S. 51, sponsored by Delaware Senator Tom Carper, has 44 of the 50 Democrats in the Senate as co-sponsors, including majority leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y.
However, with the filibuster in place, the legislation will need 60 votes to pass and will therefore die again in the Senate without GOP support.