In response to my interest in the issue of Washington DC gaining statehood in the USA, I received a response from Congressman Gerald Connolly. Washington DC is technically a district, ruled by the Federal authorities, not a state, against the will of the majority of its citizens (as recognized on the DC cars license plates, clearly stated "Taxation without Representation"). This has been a long-standing issue in the US, and the last time the US Congress voted on this issue was roughly 30 years ago, in 1992. As I believe it describes the issue at hand rather well, I have decided to paste the letter in its entirety below for readers to enjoy and better understand;
Thank you for contacting me about D.C. statehood. I appreciate your interest in this issue and your views are important to me.
I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 51, the Washington D.C. Admission Act. A legislation, introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, she introduced this bill and has fought tirelessly to fight for the rights of the District residents. This legislation would admit the Washington, Douglass Commonwealth as the 51st state in the nation, and provides its residents with representation in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Under H.R. 51, two square miles that include the Capitol Building, White House, National Mall, principal federal monuments, and federal buildings adjacent to the National Mall would remain the District of Columbia. The other 66 square mile area currently in the District's boundary line would be admitted as the Union's 51st state.
Since its inception on the Mason-Dixon line, Washington, D.C. has lacked the authority to govern its own people and to deliberate and implement decisions on the behalf of its people. Upon enactment of this bill, present-day District executive, legislative, and judicial officials would be deemed officials of the state. The Mayor, members of the Council, and the Chair of the Council would be deemed the Governor, members of the Legislative Assembly, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, respectively.
In the past, Congress has considered three factors when determining admission to the United States:
I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 51, the Washington D.C. Admission Act. A legislation, introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, she introduced this bill and has fought tirelessly to fight for the rights of the District residents. This legislation would admit the Washington, Douglass Commonwealth as the 51st state in the nation, and provides its residents with representation in the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Under H.R. 51, two square miles that include the Capitol Building, White House, National Mall, principal federal monuments, and federal buildings adjacent to the National Mall would remain the District of Columbia. The other 66 square mile area currently in the District's boundary line would be admitted as the Union's 51st state.
Since its inception on the Mason-Dixon line, Washington, D.C. has lacked the authority to govern its own people and to deliberate and implement decisions on the behalf of its people. Upon enactment of this bill, present-day District executive, legislative, and judicial officials would be deemed officials of the state. The Mayor, members of the Council, and the Chair of the Council would be deemed the Governor, members of the Legislative Assembly, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, respectively.
In the past, Congress has considered three factors when determining admission to the United States:
- Do the residents have a commitment to self government?;
- Do the residents support statehood?; and
- Does the proposed state have sufficient resources and population to support itself and its share of the costs to be part of the federal government?
The residents of the District demonstrated their support for statehood when they overwhelmingly approved the November 2016 referendum with more than 83 percent in favor.
The District currently has 702, 455 residents. Two states have smaller populations: Vermont (626,299) and Wyoming (577,737) and six states have populations below one million. The Internal Revenue Service collects more in gross revenue from the District than it collects from 22 states and more per capita from the District than any state. Additionally, the District has a higher per capita personal income and GDP than any state. The District's fiscal year 2020 budget in $15.5 billion. By comparison, 14 state budgets were smaller than $16 billion in fiscal year 2017. More than 99 percent of the funding source for the District's budget are the same as in state and local budgets. Less than one percent of the budget consists of congressional appropriations not available to other jurisdictions. If it were a state, the District could certainly support itself.
Nearly 200,000 District residents are dedicated civil servants working for the federal government, and nearly 10,000 residents serve in the military. They should have a say in federal elections and control over local decisions.
This is an issue of particular importance to me because I served as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, where I had the authority to make great positive change for more than 1.1 million residents by expanding affordable housing opportunities, promoting reusable energy, and making critical transportation improvements. The people of the District of Columbia deserve to have leaders who have the authority to make change that reflects their local priorities.
When our Founding Fathers adopted the Constitution in 1787, they knew that our nation needed a capital and envisioned a small administrative enclave. But they could not agree where to place it. In fact, it was at a famous dinner at Thomas Jefferson's home with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison at which the Founders hammered out a compromise: Hamilton got the new nation to pay lingering state debts and the national capital would be in the South - where Jefferson and Madison wanted it. The Founders never intended to deprive District residents of the right to vote.
Instead, the District of Columbia has been subjected to repeated attempts by the United States Congress to dictate how it spends its own money and to prevent it from implementing laws passed by the City Council, when it could not find a majority in Congress to override those laws. Under the Home Rule Act of 1973, Congress has to approve the District's budget and has a say over how it spends money it raises from local taxes. From 1999 to 2007, Congress blocked the District from using locally-raised tax dollars for needle exchange programs that have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. This ban occurred at a time when HIV/AIDS exceeded epidemic proportions in the District. For ten years, from 1992 to 2002, Congress prevented the District from spending any funds to implement the Health Care Benefit Expansion Act, which allowed domestic partners greater rights. From 1988 until today, Congress has inserted riders in annual appropriations legislation to prevent the District from using its own money to cover abortion services through Medicaid.
After the D.C. Council passed a law requiring companies that make wet wipes sold in the District to prove that products labeled "flushable" won't damage the pipes or make it clear on the package that the wipes are not flushable, the nonwoven fabrics industry lobbied Congress to reverse the law. As a result, Congressman Andy Harris announced that would be reviewing the issue and consider ways to block the legislation.
Let's call this opposition what it is. You can be sure when they say their massive resistance is not about race and partisanship, that it is precisely about race and partisanship. And the results are tragic for the people of the District of Columbia and the nation. It's not about the Constitution. Clearly there are implied powers of the legislature. And one of them is to determine statehood. In 1862, the state of West Virginia was established from parts of Virginia. And it was done without a constitutional amendment.
Failure to grant the residents of this District the right to vote in federal elections would be a terrible blow to democracy. It has been 26 years since the House held a hearing to examine D.C. Statehood, and it is past time to act on this moral imperative.
Once again, thank you for expressing your concern on this very important issue. I enjoyed hearing from you. For official statements and more information on my views on other issues, please feel free to visit my website at http://connolly.house.gov and sign up for my email newsletters. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for real-time updates on my work in Congress and the 11th District. If I may ever be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me.
When our Founding Fathers adopted the Constitution in 1787, they knew that our nation needed a capital and envisioned a small administrative enclave. But they could not agree where to place it. In fact, it was at a famous dinner at Thomas Jefferson's home with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison at which the Founders hammered out a compromise: Hamilton got the new nation to pay lingering state debts and the national capital would be in the South - where Jefferson and Madison wanted it. The Founders never intended to deprive District residents of the right to vote.
Instead, the District of Columbia has been subjected to repeated attempts by the United States Congress to dictate how it spends its own money and to prevent it from implementing laws passed by the City Council, when it could not find a majority in Congress to override those laws. Under the Home Rule Act of 1973, Congress has to approve the District's budget and has a say over how it spends money it raises from local taxes. From 1999 to 2007, Congress blocked the District from using locally-raised tax dollars for needle exchange programs that have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. This ban occurred at a time when HIV/AIDS exceeded epidemic proportions in the District. For ten years, from 1992 to 2002, Congress prevented the District from spending any funds to implement the Health Care Benefit Expansion Act, which allowed domestic partners greater rights. From 1988 until today, Congress has inserted riders in annual appropriations legislation to prevent the District from using its own money to cover abortion services through Medicaid.
After the D.C. Council passed a law requiring companies that make wet wipes sold in the District to prove that products labeled "flushable" won't damage the pipes or make it clear on the package that the wipes are not flushable, the nonwoven fabrics industry lobbied Congress to reverse the law. As a result, Congressman Andy Harris announced that would be reviewing the issue and consider ways to block the legislation.
Let's call this opposition what it is. You can be sure when they say their massive resistance is not about race and partisanship, that it is precisely about race and partisanship. And the results are tragic for the people of the District of Columbia and the nation. It's not about the Constitution. Clearly there are implied powers of the legislature. And one of them is to determine statehood. In 1862, the state of West Virginia was established from parts of Virginia. And it was done without a constitutional amendment.
Failure to grant the residents of this District the right to vote in federal elections would be a terrible blow to democracy. It has been 26 years since the House held a hearing to examine D.C. Statehood, and it is past time to act on this moral imperative.
Once again, thank you for expressing your concern on this very important issue. I enjoyed hearing from you. For official statements and more information on my views on other issues, please feel free to visit my website at http://connolly.house.gov and sign up for my email newsletters. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for real-time updates on my work in Congress and the 11th District. If I may ever be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Very interesting and UNIQUE !And....this situation will never change?!!!
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