The Path To Statehood For Washington, Dc: Constitutional?

Washington, DC, isn't a state; it's a district. DC stands for District of Columbia. Its creation was mandated by the US Constitution, which states that the district, not exceeding 10 miles square, would become the Seat of the Government of the United States. While DC residents pay federal taxes and serve in the military, they have no voting rights in Congress and no control over their local laws and budget. There have been several efforts to make DC a state, with the latest being the DC Statehood bill, which passed in the House of Representatives in 2021 but was not adopted by the Senate.

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Congress has the authority to admit new states

The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the authority to admit new states. Every state that has joined the Union since the ratification of the Constitution in 1788 has been admitted by Congress. The Washington, D.C. Admission Act would create a new state from the residential areas of Washington, D.C., while carving out a separate federal district that includes federal buildings such as the U.S. Capitol, the White House, and the Supreme Court. This federal district would be called the National Capital Service Area and would serve as the seat of the federal government as defined in the Constitution.

The proposed 51st state, called the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, would have no jurisdiction over the Capital. This approach ensures that Congress can continue to operate from a district it controls, as required by the Constitution, while granting statehood to the residents of Washington, D.C.

The residents of Washington, D.C., have long been denied a voice in their national government and sovereignty over their local affairs. Despite fulfilling all the obligations of U.S. citizenship, they do not enjoy the same rights and privileges as citizens of the 50 states. For example, D.C. residents pay federal taxes and serve in the military, yet they have no voting representation in Congress and no control over their local budget or laws.

The push for D.C. statehood is also driven by racial justice concerns. As a historically Black city, Washington, D.C., has a significant population of Black residents, and the current structure of the U.S. Senate gives People of Color less voting power compared to White Americans. Granting statehood to Washington, D.C., would address this disparity by providing representation and a say in how the country is governed.

While there have been several unsuccessful efforts to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., in the past, the recent passage of the D.C. Statehood bill in the House of Representatives in 2021 represents a significant step forward. The bill proposes to shrink the federal district to roughly the size of the National Mall, ensuring that Congress still operates within a district it controls. The next step is for the legislation to pass in the Senate and be signed into law by the President.

The 23rd Amendment complicates statehood

The 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted in 1961, giving Washington three electoral votes for the president and vice president. Before this amendment, Washington, DC, natives could only vote in presidential elections if they were registered as a resident in a state. The 23rd Amendment complicates statehood because it would still apply even if the federal district was shrunk, and undoing the amendment requires another amendment.

The proposed state map carves out a 2-mile radius to be called the National Capital Service Area, which includes federal buildings such as the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, and the National Mall. This becomes the seat of the federal government as defined in the Constitution. The 51st state, called the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, would have no jurisdiction over the Capital.

Congress must operate from a district it controls, but it can be no larger than ten miles on a side. The 2021 statehood bill got around this by proposing that the federal district be shrunk to an area roughly the size of the National Mall. The District of Columbia has been separate from Maryland and Virginia for over 200 years. While DC, Maryland, and Virginia work cooperatively on many regional issues, neither Maryland nor Virginia residents are interested in annexing the District of Columbia.

DC residents want statehood and made their vote clear during the 2016 referendum with an 86% vote in favor of making Washington, DC, the 51st state. The people of Washington, DC, deserve the same rights that the people in the 50 states enjoy. District residents are required to fulfill all the obligations of US citizenship, yet for over 200 years, they have been denied a voice in their national government and sovereignty over their local affairs. Admitting the residential and commercial parts of DC as a state will at last give them representation in Congress and control over their state and local government.

DC residents pay the highest per-capita federal income taxes

The constitution permits the establishment of a "District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States". This is according to Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution. The District of Columbia was officially recognized as the federal district in 1801.

There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the district into a state since the 1880s. A statehood bill passed the House of Representatives in 2021 but was not adopted by the U.S. Senate. Washington, DC residents pay the highest per-capita federal income taxes in the US. In total, they pay more in total federal income tax than residents of 22 other states. DC residents have no say over how those tax dollars are spent.

DC residents tend to have larger incomes compared to the other 50 states. Incomes per taxpayer in DC are 40% higher than the national average. The federal tax system is progressive, meaning that people with higher incomes pay more in taxes. DC also has the fewest dependents of any state, which matters because fewer kids typically mean less of a tax break.

DC residents have contributed to the nation just like residents of all other states. More than 8,000 DC residents are currently serving in the military and can be sent to war to fight for American values, but they do not have full voting rights in their own place of residence. DC residents want statehood, and this was made clear during the 2016 referendum with an 86% vote in favor of making Washington, DC the 51st state.

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DC residents have no votes in Congress

DC residents have no voting representation in Congress, despite paying federal taxes and having a population larger than Wyoming and Vermont. They are represented in the House of Representatives by a delegate who, because of constitutional provisions, cannot vote on the House floor. DC residents have no representation in the Senate, and therefore no voting power in Congress.

DC residents have been denied the right to participate in democracy and have their voices and votes heard in Congress. They are unable to help shape the future of the nation and have no say on Supreme Court justices, despite contributing to the nation in the same ways as residents of the 50 states. DC residents pay federal taxes, serve in the military and on juries, start businesses and families, and contribute to the national economy.

The District's lack of voting representation in Congress has been an issue since the capital's founding. Numerous proposals have been introduced to change this situation, including legislation and constitutional amendments, but all have been met with political or constitutional challenges. The District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, passed in 1978, would have granted DC Congressional representation, but it expired in 1986 without being ratified into law.

The 23rd Amendment, adopted in 1961, grants the District some votes in the Electoral College in measure to their population, but no more than the smallest state. The Twenty-third Amendment effectively entitles the District to three electoral votes in the election of the president and vice president. DC residents have exercised this right since the presidential election of 1964.

The Washington, DC Admission Act, also known as HR51, would admit certain parts of Washington, DC, into the new state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. It passed in the House of Representatives in June 2020 and April 2021 but was not adopted by the US Senate.

DC residents want statehood

DC has a population of 700,000, more than Vermont and Wyoming, and comparable to other states, including Delaware and Alaska. DC residents pay the highest per capita federal income taxes in the US and more in total federal income tax than residents of 22 other states. They have contributed to the nation just like residents of all other states, with more than 8,000 DC residents currently serving in the military. DC residents have been denied a voice in their national government and sovereignty over their local affairs for over 200 years.

The struggle for DC statehood is deeply rooted in the fight for racial justice. DC is a historically Black city, with Black people still making up 44.66% of the population. American democracy systematically overrepresents White voters at the expense of Black voters and other voters of color. The average Black American has only 75% as much representation as the average White American in the Senate. DC statehood is about honoring and safeguarding the rich Black cultural heritage of the District and celebrating the work of Black leaders to further democracy and civil rights for all.

The proposed state map includes a 2-mile radius called the National Capital Service Area, which includes federal buildings such as the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, and the National Mall. This becomes the seat of the federal government as defined in the Constitution. The remaining residential and commercial areas of the District of Columbia will be part of the new 51st state.

The US Constitution permits the establishment of a "District (not exceeding ten miles square)" as the seat of the US government. Congress has the authority to admit new states, and DC statehood does not require any new constitutional amendments. The Washington, DC Admission Act would create a state from the residential areas of DC while carving out federal land. The federal district would be called the Capital, and the new state, called the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, would have no jurisdiction over it.

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