WASHINGTON — The debate over making Washington, D.C., the 51st state will be front and center Monday at what is expected to be a combative House hearing on the proposal, which is gaining in popularity among Democrats.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee will examine legislation dubbed "the Washington, D.C. Admission Act," which was introduced in late January in the House by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who represents D.C., and in the Senate by Democrat Tom Carper of Delaware.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a vocal proponent of statehood, is set to testify in person Monday at the hearing, which will include other D.C. officials such as Phil Mendelson, chairman of the D.C. Council.
Democrats have intensified their push for D.C. statehood issue since they took control of the Senate this year. The House would likely pass the legislation again, which it did in the last Congress, but it has little chance of clearing the evenly divided Senate given the 60-vote hurdle to overcome a filibuster.
Many GOP lawmakers have expressed opposition to D.C. statehood given that any congressional representation would almost certainly be Democratic.
Last week, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., a member of the Oversight panel, called the measure to make D.C. a state “unconstitutional” and a "power grab."
“The Democrats’ bill is unconstitutional and no amount of testimony can change that basic fact,” he said in a statement. “The bill does not address the financial burden that would fall on the District if statehood was granted or other practical implications. H.R. 51 doesn’t rest in sound policy and is a dangerous political power grab that will ensure more government intrusion into Americans’ daily lives.”
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March 22, 2021 at 08:14PM
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D.C. statehood moves front and center with House hearing - NBC News
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