Member-only story
D.C. statehood Gets an Unexpected Twist to Move Forward
D.C. Admission Act may not be vulnerable to constitutional challenge in the courts
The Democrats are as responsible as the Republicans for forcing the residents of Washington, D.C., to live without a congressional representation.
In the final minutes of the congressional debate in 1993 over the proposal on D.C. Statehood, Civil rights icon John Lewis said, “It is not right, that there is still an America where there is still some taxation without representation.” But despite his appeal, the bill was resoundingly defeated, with 107 House Democrats voting against it.
In 1993, Democrats enjoyed a clear majority in the House and the Senate, and President Clinton was more than ready to support the proposal. But the democrats fumbled a clear and present chance. The Democrats have already paid a heavy price for the mistake they committed 27 years ago, and they will continue to pay for it until they figure out a way to fix it.
The Problem may not be a problem at all.
Capitol Hill politicians told us that a constitutional amendment is required to grant statehood to D.C. An amendment will be impossible to achieve without Republican support in the Senate. “Because of the Senate filibuster, 60 senators would need to support statehood for the bill to advance —…
