President Biden’s White House formally backed Tuesday by making Washington, DC, the 51st state of the union and urged Congress to approve HR 51 legislation to “give Washingtonians a full representation for a long time.”
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said the Biden government is ‘strongly relying’ on the DC government legislation that will give the district two new senators and one member of Congress.
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“For far too long, the more than 700,000 people of Washington, DC, have not been deprived of full representation in the U.S. Congress,” the White House OMB statement said. ‘This tax without representation and denial of self-government is an insult to the democratic values on which our nation is founded.
“HR 51 is putting it wrong by making Washington, DC, a state and giving its residents full representation in Congress for a long time, while retaining a federal district that will continue to serve as the seat of government of our country.”
Biden’s statement of support comes as the House begins Tuesday with a set of votes to approve HR 51.
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser testified during the hearing of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, on DC coup, on Monday, March 22, 2021 at Capitol Hill in Washington. (Caroline Brehman / Pool via CQ Roll Call)
DC officials and Democrats have raised the coup issue as a civil rights issue for residents who have historically been released. But Republicans have been strong against the DC state, calling it an unconstitutional democratic coup designed to shift control in the Senate by adding two senators from a liberal stronghold.
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Republicans argue that the establishment of the federal enclave is constitutionally based, so any change to the district should come in the form of a constitutional amendment – not congressional legislation. They expressed concern about the 23rd amendment, which gave the district three electoral votes in the presidential electoral college and whether state capture could be granted before it was revoked.
But the Biden government indicated that Congress had the “authority” to expand the scope of the union.
The Capitol will be seen in Washington on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
((AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite))
“The administration looks forward to cooperating with Congress, while HR 51 continues through the legislative process to ensure that it cooperates with Congress’s constitutional responsibilities and its constitutional authority to allow new states into the union through legislation, said the White House. “The Government Requests that Congress Provide for a Rapid and Orderly Transition to State-Building for the Residents of Washington, DC”
DC has a population of more than 700,000 residents – larger than Wyoming and Vermont – but the residents do not have voting members in Congress or full control over local affairs. However, the District of Columbia pays more in federal taxes than 21 states and more per capita than any state, according to the 2019 IRS database.
Under the plan, the 51st state would be called ‘Washington, Douglass Commonwealth’, named after Frederick Douglass. The state would consist of 66 of the 68 square miles of the current federal district.
DC will have full control over local affairs and full representation in Congress, which equates to the current population of two senators and one representative in the House.
“The establishment of Washington State, Douglass Commonwealth, as the 51st state, will make our union stronger and fairer,” the White House said. “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 legislation on state capture, HR 51, has 215 cosponsors, which in addition to boosting Democratic support this week. The Senate version of the bill, p. 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.
With the filibuster in place, however, the legislation needs 60 votes to progress and will therefore die in the Senate again without GOP support.