House Approves Bill That Could Make Washington D.C. A State

On Thursday, the House voted on a bill that would allow Washington D.C. to become the 51st state.

This vote comes as the bill’s advocates continue to push for D.C. to become a state for civil rights reasons. The district has no voting representation in Congress, though congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton represents the district as a non-voting delegate.

D.C. has a population of over 700,000, 46% of which is Black and minority. If it succeeds in becoming a state, it would be the first state with a majority Black population. The district also pays more in federal taxes than 21 states.

The bill would establish the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass. It would also give the district two U.S. senators and a voting representative in the House. If passed, the law would cordon off the National Mall, White House, and U.S. Capitol to remain federally controlled as the seat of the U.S. government.

Though there are many positive attributes to establishing statehood, the measure is likely to fail when it reaches the Senate. Last year, the House approved a similar statehood bill by a 232 to 180 vote. However, that one did not pass in the Senate.