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| D.C. Statehood Act | |
|---|---|
| Name | D.C. Statehood Act |
| Long title | Act to admit the State of Washington, Douglass into the Union |
| Enacted by | 118th United States Congress |
| Introduced in | United States House of Representatives |
| Introduced by | Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton |
| Introduced date | 2024 |
| Passed | 2024 |
| Signed by | President Joe Biden |
| Summary | Admission of the District of Columbia as a state named Washington, Douglass |
D.C. Statehood Act.
The D.C. Statehood Act is proposed federal legislation to admit the federal District of Columbia as a U.S. state called Washington, Douglass, altering representation in the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and the Electoral College. The proposal intersects with precedents like the Admission to the Union, debates about the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, and litigation exemplified by cases such as Rendon v. United States and Palmore v. City of Richmond.
The movement traces to early figures and events including Frederick Douglass, the 19th-century residency of Abraham Lincoln in the White House, and 20th-century campaigns by groups like the D.C. Statehood Green Party and organizations such as the National Organization for Women and the NAACP. Congressional actions like the Home Rule Act and the passage of the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment reflect historical attempts, while presidential administrations from Richard Nixon through Barack Obama have engaged with the question alongside commissions like the Presidential Commission on the District of Columbia. Judicial influences include opinions from Supreme Court of the United States justices such as John Roberts and historical rulings like Loughborough v. Blake.
Legislative efforts have involved members of Congress including Eleanor Holmes Norton, Steny Hoyer, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, with procedural actions in committees chaired by figures from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Previous bills echo initiatives from the 103rd United States Congress through the 117th United States Congress, with floor votes influenced by party leaders Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, and caucuses such as the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Republican Study Committee. Legislative history intersects with budgetary processes in the Congressional Budget Office analyses and appropriations by the House Appropriations Committee.
Key provisions include admission terms similar to those used for Alaska and Hawaii, delineation of territory reflecting landmarks like the United States Capitol and Jefferson Memorial, and transition mechanisms paralleling the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The Act specifies representation: two United States Senators and at least one United States Representative, and adjustments to the Electoral College allocation used in past elections such as the 2000 United States presidential election and 2016 United States presidential election. It addresses tax and spending interactions with agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the Congressional Research Service, and contemplates continuity for institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Constitutional debates reference the Article I of the United States Constitution, the Article IV of the United States Constitution, and the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution as well as challenges rooted in opinions by jurists such as Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Legal disputes consider the applicability of the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution and doctrines exemplified in cases like Plaut v. Spendthrift Farm, Inc. and McCulloch v. Maryland. Litigation may involve the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and appeals to the Supreme Court of the United States, with amici including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Federalist Society.
Public discourse has been shaped by activists like Shirley Chisholm and commentators in outlets tied to figures such as Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity, while polls conducted by organizations including the Pew Research Center, Gallup, and the Cook Political Report show fluctuating support corresponding to partisan shifts led by Democratic Party (United States) and Republican Party (United States). Advocacy groups including Statehood Yes, DC Vote, and opponents such as the Conservative Political Action Conference and think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Brookings Institution frame competing arguments about representation, taxation, and federal oversight.
Implementation would involve coordination among the United States Department of Justice, the General Services Administration, and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation for administrative transitions referencing models from state admissions like Oklahoma and Wyoming. Governance structures would establish a state legislature, gubernatorial elections analogous to those in Maryland and Virginia, and judicial organization comparable to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals with federal interactions shaped by precedents involving the Department of the Interior and the Federal Election Commission.
Admission would affect Congressional balance in the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, influence presidential elections as in analyses of the Electoral College reform debate, and prompt economic assessments by entities like the Federal Reserve and the Department of Commerce. International reactions could involve diplomatic commentaries from capitals such as London, Brussels, and Ottawa and responses from multilateral organizations including the United Nations General Assembly regarding representation and sovereignty themes echoed in historical precedents like the Admission of Hawaii and the Admission of Alaska.
Category:Proposed legislation of the United States Congress Category:Politics of the District of Columbia