On Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on whether to make Washington, D.C. a state.
Last week, the House Oversight Committee passed H.R. 51 by a margin of 25-19. The bill “Provides for admission into the United States of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia.” No Republicans voted for the bill.
In the event that H.R. 51 passes the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, it is certain to be challenged.
The primary argument against D.C. statehood is that it violates the 23rd Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional. According to the 23rd Amendment, “The District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct: A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State.” How can D.C. possibly become a state when the Constitution explicitly refers to the area “as if it were a state”?
Last week, twenty-two state Attorney Generals sent a letter to President Biden and Congress threatening legal action if Congress passes H.R. 51. To quote the letter, “If this Congress passes and President Biden signs this Act into law, we will use every legal tool at our disposal to defend the United States Constitution and the rights of our states from this unlawful effort to provide statehood to the District of Columbia…not only does Congress lack the authority to create an entirely new state out of the District, but it also does not have the authority to reduce the size of the District to the equivalent of a few federal buildings and surrounding parks.” The letter was signed by Republican Attorney Generals from the states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
H.R. 51 is just the latest radical bill to advance in the House of Representatives. The radical 117th Congress has also passed legislation to federalize elections, eliminate the legal recognition of the sexes, legalize millions of illegal immigrants, and criminalize private gun sales.
As of now, H.R. 51 would likely fail in the Senate since it would require at least 10 Republican votes to pass. However, Democrats would be able to pass H.R. 51 and other radical legislation if they elect to abolish the filibuster.
“Moderate” Democrat Senators, such as Senator Manchin, have recently claimed that they will not vote to abolish the filibuster. To quote Senator Manchin, “Every time the Senate voted to weaken the filibuster in the past decade, the political dysfunction and gridlock have grown more severe.” However, many Democrats that now fervently oppose the filibuster defended it in the past. For example, back in 2005, Barack Obama claimed, “If the majority chooses to end the filibuster if they choose to change the rules and put an end to Democratic debate, then the fighting and the bitterness and the gridlock will only get worse.” Now, Obama publicly refers to the filibuster as a “Jim Crow relic.” Likewise, back in 2005, Joe Biden claimed, “The Senate ought not to act rashly by changing its rules to satisfy a strong-willed majority acting in the heat of the moment.” Biden now agrees with Obama’s claim that the filibuster is a “Jim Crow relic” and “strongly supports” reforming the filibuster.
Joe Biden is also making moves behind the scenes to attempt to get additional support on radical Democrat legislation from Senator Manchin by gifting government positions. Biden recently appointed Gayle Manchin, Senator Joe Manchin’s wife, to co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. She will now receive a hefty annual salary of approximately $163,000.
Do not put it past the leftist Democrats to attempt to abolish the filibuster to enact their radical agenda. They are on a mission to fundamentally change our country from a constitutional republic to one of one-party rule.
how can we stop them?
Make DC a Territory then OK
Doable.
Unless Senate OKs this.
That’s funny because they are going to level all of DC and remove ALL satanic bldgs and statues inc the Statue of Liberty. DC will be a park for birds, owls, etc. DC cannot be a state.
Jackass Joe might as well change USA to USSA … UNITED SOCIALIST STATES of AMERICA!!! … Guaranteeing the SERVITUDE of We the People!
If they (dem-o-rats) can’t cheat they can’t win !!
lol it been made very clear that our this is never to happen.
DOA in the Senate.
They just cleaned out all the tunnels under DC that led to all fed bldgs. Congress used them also for child abuse. You all must know this by now. They are all worshipping satan. The water overflow in the streets? Cleaned out, even smell of ammonia coming from them. Children removed awhile back. GeoHWBush had the tunnels made. He was a big pedo. Now all the DC reminders will be removed.
This congress and administration are out of control.
The way this sounds the U.S, Government has seceded from the States and the People of the United States of America. Maybe they and SCOTUS all need to be reminded that they aren’t above our laws which are governed by our Supreme Law in the form of the U.S. Constitution, no such ‘immunity’ exists.
Marxists care not about “federalism” or “separation of powers.” They think they are wiser than our Founders. Any of our Founders could run circles around the poor dolts in DC, especially Schumer, Pelosi, and Senile Joe!
If they are going to do this “statehood” thing they should also look at giving Puerto Rico the same status. The main reason I am saying this is because it will force both of those areas to then depend on their individual leaders to provide the control of all areas of maintenance for the location—buildings, sanitation, energy, welfare programs, fire departments, etc—so they can face the reality of not getting funding for their problems. See how soon they will return Pennsylvania Ave with the Capitol Building and Museum Way back to the federal government because they can’t afford to maintain the security of those buildings and workers, let alone the rest of the city. Puerto Rico will have to do the same thing. These two areas have been getting handouts for a long time and they are the biggest complainers. Make them realize that there’s a cost to allowing rampant destruction.
Do not give up we still have a Constitution and Bill of RIGHTS. Pray we don’t have to but we have the 2nd.
Let the revolution begin, this is the only way to stop the Democrats from destroying America.
Don’t need another state!! Need Congress to do the will ofnthe legal American and NOT their agenda!!
Where is “THE CONFEDERATION OF STATES” when you need them?
Hurry up state legislatures and get on board!
The demoncrats won’t stop until they have made America a communist state. The Founding Fathers never intended DC to be a State. Now the demoncrats will do exactly that to further their devious agenda.
Some day we will wake up to a completely Marxist Democrat controlled country. Those folks, emboldened by the O’Biden stolen victory, will keep pushing the radical agenda until Americans have seen enough. Those with an ounce of common sense know that this just a strategy taken from chapter ten of the Marxist playbook to control the power in the United States. Political power, unchecked, may lead to a downfall of many freedoms that we enjoy today. The Constitution does not provide for statehood for the District of Columbia, so it should stay the way it is forever.
Attorneys General is the plural of attorney general. Sloppy.
House of Representatives Set To Vote On D.C. Statehood Thursday
Liberals can’t get any dumber than this.
Oh yeah; hold my beer and watch this.
Everything the Democrats are trying to do benefits them but tears more of the American Fabric away from what this country was built on and that is their goal. This, the Supreme court and the filibuster and not allowing ICE to refer to Illegal Aliens as Illegal Aliens which they are!!!! They are crossing our borders illegally and they belong to a foreign country. How plain can it get !! Black and white scum rioting and looting, burning, smashing in the streets while law enforcement is told to stand down. Every member of the House of Representatives with a couple of exceptions need to be jailed as traitors and criminals for the standard of behavior they are displaying and encouraging. These are the elite ILK of Washington DC They might as well be out in the streets themselves and Maxine Waters was. Nancy Pelosi is a home grown terrorist with a moron twist !!!
If I were the Attorney General of either Maryland or Virginia, the states who donated the land for the District of Columbia, I would demand that the land be returned if it is not to be maintained in the status for which it was donated. Let them collect the property tax.
Why is the Democratic party trying to destroy our country? I have lived long enough to see the democratic party morph (for lack of a better word) into communism. My father was a “Truman Democrat” and I followed suit until Bill Clinton’s administration. I then switched to the Republican party, which followed Americans first. The downfall of the democratic party is likened to a toboggan sliding downhill – totally out of control!
More proof we are “circling the drain”. Oh, what to do? Move? Fight? Make popcorn?
This is the most bogus dog and pony show that I have ever paid for as a tax payer. The only way that D.C. can become a state is if the nations capital and all of it’s infrastructure is removed from this city. It is written in the laws of this nation that it can never be a state under any circumstances. If it is voted to be annexed as a state and congress approves it that one of the greatest frauds in our countries history has been perpetrated and the moronic stupid Americans who accept this will get exactly what they deserve.
There is plenty of proof that China altered the count into and out of voting machines, meaning Joe Biden is not our President. 16 million altered votes from our president to Joe Biden.
To quote Reagan, “there you go again….” Politics and political people do what they have always done….change the wording, change the directive, change the narrative….step by step, change the nation. Do we not see? Do we not hear? The past does not matter, history is a worthless “clinging” and the truth is redefined at every change in the political wind. Republicans and Democrats alike, they are as my father warned…..”.don’t believe anything they say and only half of what they show you.”
Call me a cynic, but nothing really changes, does it? Theodore Roosevelt said it this way….”all you can do is vote for the person who will do the least amount of damage…” Sadly, no one, I repeat, NO ONE who takes on political office, does not take on the stench and stain of their predecessors. Some are worse than others, some better, but I see (and have seen for some 60 years of voting, etc,) all of us sticking our fingers in the dyke while the power brokers and power mongers keep making new holes.
Observe the likes of Pelosi, Walker, AOC, Harris, et.al. and what they do and say……and some republicans are not much better. Here’s an idea, lets make D.C. a giant museum,( which it already kind of is) with all the attractions, rides, and “disneyland” hype. Move the Capitol to the middle of the country, say, Salina, Kansas….put in all new facilities, offices, grand buildings, etc, etc. Retain the history of the nation with D.C. as a display, and do the work of government from a central location. Granted it would cost…..but not any more than the boondoggles and pork spending already in place and being sought. Let start a petition…….Kansas can use the boost.
Democrats will NEVER stop trying to grab control of this country for JUST themselves! This will constantly be an ongoing battle until Jesus comes back! We all need to buckle in for the long haul cuz the Democrat leftists are so addicted to power, they can’t stop destroying everything good about this country to get control for themselves!
The progressive Democrats are doing everything they can think of to divide the country into smaller groups they can dominate under the mantra of “divide and conquer”. Some Senate Democrats are even proposing a bill to give women who run small businesses a tax break that would not be available to men. Talk about gender discrimination!
This is a great article. Write your State representatives & urge them to vote agains HR 51 and also to keep the filibuster intact. Both are blatant bills to give more power to one of the parties. Still waiting for Democrats to unite this nation & not further divide it.
I find it disheartening and, honestly, very frightening that Members of Congress, whose Oath of Office includes the words “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” not only show no interest in abiding by their Oath, but seem not to even know what is in the Constitution. The Constitution specifically states that the District of Columbia is given a special status, a status that cannot be changed (other than by a Constitutional amendment), and that the District of Columbia is intended to remain in that special status in perpetuity. Yet here they go putting forth a bill to change that status in direct and complete violation of the Constitution. And do we hear so much as a word of objection on that Constitutional issue that from anyone in the Congress or the media?
The democrats have run amok like a kid in a candy store since taking over the house. I hope this mid term election goes like the first one after Obama was elected and the majority returns to the GOP. The dems are trying to do a reprise of the hobcobbled monster that was obamacare, a big series of boondoggles to refresh the coffers of the house majority and their sycophants.
What a crock – just another way to gain greater control!
Thanks, this is first explanation of how the 23rd Amendment applies to this bill. I think it is important that United States has neutral area as Nation Capital. Both parties just need to start working together for what is best for USA & not just political power for one party.
Absolutely abhorrent and un-American the current administration’s actions to dismantle our u.s. constitution, law enforcement, total disregard for everything that makes this country great! This activity must be stopped ASAP! Unconditional means just that! The leftist media with their lies and propaganda must be exposed for what they really are, Communist sympathizers!
Democrats are totally out of control. This is a plain attempt to gain more power since fundamentally DC is totally black and liberal. The Founders made DC a neutral area so influence for either party would not happen. Packing the Courts, making DC a Democratic State it’s just outrageous.
Be prepared to single out ALL representatives who violate their Constitutional oath and vote for this ridiculous and illegal addition of DC.
WE THE PEOPLE must rid Our Country and Government of eveyone of these TRAITORS!
Time to Stand Up for America and Freedom.
I agree with TA & LG. You hit the nail on the head. Biden speaks out of both sides of his mouth and then doesn’t know what he said. Makes you wonder if Obama is running our Country doesn’t it. He did want a third term. And, Biden, didn’t he take money from our enemy China??? He was against the filibuster years ago-this has been on TV. It looks like he is buying off Manchin by appointing his wife as a Co-chair with a nice salary. Manchin as a Dem seemed to look at least twice at issues that Dems were putting forth. JH: the Dems are not willing to work with Conservatives just look what they did during President Trump’s Presidency. The Dems/Socialists are committed to overthrow our Republic-Make no mistake about this. The recent Presidential election was a fraud and everyone knows it, that is why the are wiring and trooping our Capitol. It is easier to cross the US-Mexico border than for taxpayers to visit our Capitol. The Dems/Socialists have violated our Constitution, now what are we going to do to take our Country back??? Talking with the Dems does not work and we all know this. MY view, Old Grumpy Vet
I’m still waiting for the deafening roar of disapproval in every form of media from the Republican Party!!!
We can’t hear You- time to stand for something, You represent We the People!
Using some poetic partial copying … Let me count the ways that I believe this is a terrible move to make in our Constitutional government!! Hmmm. Reflecting a bit … that is probably too many to count, so I abbreviate my opinion by saying “that this is a horrible idea!”
There is no honor in politics and the Democrats are by far the worst. No statehood for DC!! A single city given the same representation in the Senate as other states? No. The idea was rejected by our founders for good reason and that has not changed. This is a purely political power play by dishonorable Democrats and it must be defeated at all cost.
51 percent of PR’s population is hardly a big enough percentage to prove they want statehood. That low of a number could mean that there was miscount or any other reason. It should be at least 75 percent. The last time I was there almost all I spoke with were against it. They said they would lose more than they’d gain. I’m not sure what all they meant by that. Possibly monetary since I believe they receive a healthy chunk of money from the government coffers. I know that Alaska and I believe Hawaii both chaffed against being at the whim of which party was in power even to the point that we could not choose our own governor. Which means a lot because there was no reason to work for the will of the residences. PR can and does choose their own. I also feel that Stevens may be putting his next reelection, if he chooses to run again, in jeopardy if he goes against the party. The party cannot take a chance of one/two more democrats being added to the roster.
Better yet. How about as the Vatican is within Rome, Italy. Vote DC as another country. Not an asset to the country.
Great Idea get rid nod DCit is not part of America
Unfortunately for these communists….to add a state, it must be ratified by 3/4ths of the states….with almost half already objecting I see this as just another try to dissolve America and the Congress cannnot make a state without radification.
The democrats are just like the devil they came to kill still and destroy. Democrats are destroying America as we know it and we will have to fight for our freedom.
OH, BOY, MORE CANCEROUS, ANTI-AMERICAN, RACIST, LYING libs TO VOTE AND CHEAT IN ALL ELECTIONS
libs = CANCER AND ARE THE ENEMY OF OUR NATION
I am grateful for your news columns. They’re educational and informative. However, there doesn’t seem to be much we can do to reverse the damage being done by the Democrats. On the advice of other organizations, I have written and called my senators and representative. But being that all 3 are Democrats, my voice is futile. They reply with admonishments and trite comments that are part of their ongoing narrative. So I feel the 2020 defeat each and every day. All the effort put forth by the previous administration has been abandoned. We need conservative representation that is wise, fair, strong and committed. And united! That is my only hope.
Yes the corrupt, anti American democrats will now attempt to use OUR money to payoff whomever neccessary to RUIN America and forward their communist agenda.
The stimulus paid back unions and donors, now taxpayers money to BRIBE politicians to support their failed policies and power grabs!
Have we become a majority of people who can no longer see the dishonestly,political rhetoric ,hatred and destruction of America the democrats are forcing on the Citizens ?
Even with the media and big tech in their swamp, EVERY REPUBLICAN and Conservative should be in their district , speaking LOUDLY and organizing supporters to engage this blatant assault on OUR Freedom and OUR Country.
The outrage MUST be deafening!
Wake up , it’s OUR Country, Our Freedom.
Americans died to protect exactly what communist democrats are destroying!
My opinion is that DC should be made a state but that the seat of government moved to the center of the US, somewhere around Lebanon, Kansas. Make DC a tourist attraction like Disneyland and/or a zoo. There could be tours to explain what the United States was like before the attempted Communist take-over. This would put the government within driving distance of many people including the politicians who would no longer have to fly across the country (at our expense) every week-end.