Tuesday, May 18, 2021
51 for 51
In late April 2021, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives approved a bill to make the nation’s capital, Washington DC, the 51st U.S state. To secure and pass the bill within the Senate, 51 votes out of 100 need to vote in favour. Will there be 51 votes for the 51st state?
The most recent addition to the Union was on the 21st August 1959, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Congress signed a proclamation naming Hawaii as the 50th U.S state. Since then, there have been few attempts to add a 51st state. However, in the light of the Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020, and the recent insurrection on the Capitol building in January 2021, members of the public and congress have rallied for Washington DC to be officially named as a state. Although Biden has signalled his support should it become law, the statehood could be met with many obstacles in the senate.
One of the obvious questions for this topic is why wasn’t the nation’s capital made a state in the first place? Washington, District of Columbia, not to be confused with the state of Washington, on the west coast, has been America’s capital since 1800 when it replaced Philadelphia and was named after Christopher Columbus. It has a vast history and is unique among any other American city as it was established by the constitution to serve as the nation’s capital. It was established after 7 long years of negotiation by members of Congress as they tried to define the concept of a “federal enclave” and was finally agreed upon by a compromise in the discussions. America’s first president, George Washington, chose the location accommodating oceangoing ships on the Potomac River’s navigation head and close to deep-rooted colonial port cities of George Town and Alexandria. Washington himself called it “the gateway to the interior” as he anticipated that it would also aid economically to link the Western territories to the Eastern Seaboard, therefore securing the allegiance of the frontier to the new country.
Essentially, Washington DC was never made a state in order to provide a federal district under the select jurisdiction of the U.S congress. The founders also worried that if the capital were to be made a state, that members of the government would be unduly indebted to it and the voting members, according to James Madison the country’s 4th president, could possibly “insult” or “interrupt” the proceedings of the government in order to influence political decisions.
To this day, D.C does not have voting representation in Congress, they have no senators and just one non-voting House delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton who has held the position for 30 years. Up until 1964, the residents of D.C were not permitted to vote in presidential elections and not until 1974 were they permitted to elect their own metropolitan government and are still restricted in passing laws or an annual budget without congressional support, so it’s no wonder their residents are tired of the arrangement.
Like the majority of US states, voting rights were very much restricted for those who were African American. Washington DC however was arguably ahead of its time outlawing slavery over eight months before Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation and gave African American men voting rights in 1867, three years before the 15th amendment extended that right nationwide. Nevertheless, this freedom was brief as Congress stole DC’s voting rights to constrain what they thought was the mounting political muscle of African American residents in DC in the 1870s, something they were undoubtedly threatened by. They are now rightfully back to full voting rights, however it is an important part of DC’s history which shouldn’t be overlooked.
So, why has the conversation and desire for statehood emerged? There have been numerous attempts which have failed before, but recent events have triggered momentum for a vote. Most recently, the city’s lack of authority saw it struggle on two momentous occasions in American politics. At the height of protests in June 2020, Donald Trump ordered federal forces to intervene and disperse Black Lives Matter protestors, in contradiction of the wishes of DC’s mayor. Ms Norton said of the matter that it “was the physical manifestation of the District’s disenfranchisement.” The second event was the insurrection on Capitol Hill on January 6th of this year which saw multiple police injuries and one death of a protestor. The city lacked authority over the national guard which meant it was slow to act and respond.
So, what are the hurdles DC faces in the Senate? Firstly, this will not be a bipartisan agreement. Although certain progressive Republicans could vote in favour of statehood, many see the addition as a danger to the party. Since those in the city have been able to vote in presidential elections, no Republican nominee has won the city’s three electoral votes, and not since Jimmy Carter in 1980 has a Democrat received less than 75% of the vote. Washington DC becoming a state would therefore threaten the Republican party as two extra Senate seats held by individuals in DC would undoubtedly, going on the voting records, be held by Democrats. Republicans are also hostile at the thought of momentum increasing for other territories to become states, for example Puerto Rico, which could increase the weight of the Democrat’s potential power. Prominent and popular Republicans have made their distaste for the statehood publicly with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky stating the efforts as “full-bore socialism on the March.”
The potential for statehood could also be met with something unique to American politics, the filibuster. The filibuster is a rule which requires a supermajority of 60 Senators to approve critical legislation, so the Republicans could take advantage of this in the process of trying to block the bill continuing. Moreover, even with the possibility of both Congress and the sitting president allowing the bill to materialise, the termination of the city would only happen when the 23rd Amendment is repealed which is a formidable political risk as at least 38 states would need to approve the action.
Overall, there are mixed intentions for resisting the statehood and it will be a hard task for any party to pass. It is unlikely the Democrats will achieve a filibuster-proof majority with the Senate split 50-50, but as DC was made in a compromise, potentially the future of DC’s say in matters will be made in one too.
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