Legislation introduced to grant Washington, D.C. statehood

Forty-one Democratic senators have introduced legislation establishing statehood for the District of Columbia.

The Washington, D.C. Admission Act would give statehood to the nation’s capital, giving its citizens full congressional representation.

The senators echoed the district’s unofficial motto, “Taxation without representation,” in their pursuit of creating the 51st state.

“All Americans deserve to have their voices fully heard in our democracy,” said the senators. “But Virginia’s neighbors in D.C. don’t have the same representation in Congress as other states and are unfairly subjected to taxation without representation – a denial of political freedom that defies the ideological framework upon which our Founding Fathers established this nation. We are proud to support this legislation to recognize D.C. as the 51st state.”

The senators say the legislation would also provide the district's citizens and elected officials with “full authority over local affairs,” including the selection of judges to fill vacancies in district courts.

The legislation would maintain that the areas surrounding the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court and the National Mall would remain under Congress’ jurisdiction as mandated by the Constitution.

The legislation, also introduced in the House, has received approval from district residents. In November 2016, 79% of residents voted in favor of a referendum petitioning Congress to admit the nation’s capital as the 51st state.

The legislation will likely face an uphill battle as Republicans have majorities in the House of Representatives (219-215 with one vacancy) and Senate (52-47, with one vacancy), and soon will occupy the White House.

Historically, Republicans have rejected the move, citing the founders’ intent not to give one state more power over the others.

It also comes at a time when some prominent Republicans are proposing moving many federal agencies out of the district into other states, further decentralizing the federal government.