It appears the Democrat majority in Congress will stop at almost nothing to ensure their majority remains a majority. Last Fall it was packing the Supreme Court and today, it is legislation to make D.C. (and other territories) a state.
With a population of about seven hundred thousand, it may seem logical that D.C. should become a state with representation in both the lower and upper chambers. In fact, it simply is not Constitutional to make it a state. Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 enables Congress to govern the District of Colombia. Our Founders envisioned the location of the Federal government to be an independent entity outside of another state. In doing so, the Founders sought to prevent D.C. from pressures and influence by one state government rather than another.
But, on a more practical level, D.C. statehood is a means used by Democrats to garner another two Democrat Senators and a voting member(s) in Congress. With this majority, they will have the ability to pass their radical legislation without any obstacles. In an article appearing in the Washington Post in March, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) stated:
“There’s obviously a powerful democratic imperative for getting everybody equal political rights and representation. But there’s a national political logic for it, too, because the Senate has become the principal obstacle to social progress across a whole range of issues.”
More recently, on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a markup on H.R. 51, which grants statehood to Washington, D.C. by limiting the radius of the federal district, or the Capital, to two square miles and leaving the rest to the State of Washington, D.C. A markup is the last step needed before a bill heads to the Floor for a vote. Republicans repeatedly warned of not only the unconstitutional manner of H.R. 51, but also how out of touch Democrats are with what actually needs fixing in America: like the border!
As if to prove this point, the House Natural Resources Committee also held a hearing on April 14th on Puerto Rican statehood. So, if D.C. statehood does not make its way through the Senate, Democrats have Puerto Rican statehood to try again. And, if that doesn’t work, how about Guam?
It’s laughable how out of touch the Democrats are with their Constitutional oath and the American people. Get back to work!