House committee approves D.C. statehood, a once-fringe issue now central to Democrats

[Phys251]

No, I think that DC would lose EC representation through legislation brought by Congress.

Congress cannot override the Constitution without a court ruling or an amendment. The 23rd Amendment is very clear that DC gets 3 EVs. Shrinking their population would not change that.

What needs to happen for now is that the number of voting representatives in the House gets expanded by one, given to DC. I don't think Republicans would have much of a problem with this.

 

[bongsaway]

Let's also make the Dakotas one state. The only reason there are two was so slave states could keep slavery.

The dakotas, hell the gop of the time made nine new states.

 

[JustAFella]

Oops, you are correct. Here is where my initial thought may have come from. " The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861—including what we now think of as North Dakota and South Dakota, as well as parts of Wyoming and Montana." "Meanwhile, a year after the Dakota territory was formed, the Homestead Act passed." No excuses, I was wrong, and so is justafella, but there is a reason I posted what I did. An incorrect reason, but...

I am doing some more reading. I over-generalized (I also edited that post a few times and ****ed up the message). I also mixed up the forming of the Dakotas territory with them becoming states. My bad. I'll own that.

However, it is factual that the idea the Dakotas needed to be two states was even considered a joke back then. There just weren't enough people to justify it. Not much has changed.

 

[mrjurrs]

Congress cannot override the Constitution without a court ruling or an amendment. The 23rd Amendment is very clear that DC gets 3 EVs. Shrinking their population would not change that.

What needs to happen for now is that the number of voting representatives in the House gets expanded by one, given to DC. I don't think Republicans would have much of a problem with this.

They would not be overriding the Constitution. They would be using Section 2 of that amendment.

 

[mrjurrs]

Congress cannot override the Constitution without a court ruling or an amendment. The 23rd Amendment is very clear that DC gets 3 EVs. Shrinking their population would not change that.

What needs to happen for now is that the number of voting representatives in the House gets expanded by one, given to DC. I don't think Republicans would have much of a problem with this.

If you give them an HoR vote, why wouldn't you give them two Senate votes?

 

[Phys251]

They would not be overriding the Constitution. They would be using Section 2 of that amendment.

How?

If you give them an HoR vote, why wouldn't you give them two Senate votes?

It's called political capital. You'd need a lot more to give DC two Senators than one voting rep.

 

[JustAFella]

Also, and this is always a weird point to bring up...we just made up the rules as we went. We can still change the rules. The idea we nailed this 130/150 years ago on the first try is just silly. I don't keep doing unhealthy and illogical things because that is what I was doing a year ago. Your average 25-year-old today has a much more informed opinion on this world than Thomas Jefferson if you dropped him off via Time Travelling Phone Booth.

 

[Fishking]

Also, and this is always a weird point to bring up...we just made up the rules as we went. We can still change the rules. The idea we nailed this 130/150 years ago on the first try is just silly. I don't keep doing unhealthy and illogical things because that is what I was doing a year ago. Your average 25-year-old today has a much more informed opinion on this world than Thomas Jefferson if you dropped him off via Time Travelling Phone Booth.

If you can get a constitutional amendment passed, then have at it.

 

[JustAFella]

When the argument against passing anything is "Well, that isn't what the founders wanted" and that kills 50 Senate votes then what is the point of even trying?

edit: Point is, our Founders were basically smart apes wearing wigs who thought slavery was cool and most of us shouldn't vote. Maybe they should not be our reference point in 2021.

 

[mrjurrs]

How?


It's called political capital. You'd need a lot more to give DC two Senators than one voting rep.

By passing legislation to enforce the Amendment. Please note the first sentence of Section 1. "...in such manner as Congress may direct."

 

[Chillfolks]

How do you figure?

It takes the least amount of effort to achieve the desired result. The territory is given to Maryland, then Maryland redraws their congressional districts. Next census they will probably pick up a House seat. No fiddling with the size of the government. It's the smart move

 

[dcsports]

This would take a cloture vote. It is DOA in the Senate.

There's a big constitutional question too - given that it was both established by the original constitution, and later given representation through the 23 amendment. These make it pretty clear that the district has a special status as the seat of government, NOT a state. Another amendment would be required to untangle these.

[section 8 - Powers of Congress}
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings


23rd Amendment
Section 1
The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as 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; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

 

[Mr. Invisible]

With regards to Puerto Rico, it is up to them. If they vote yes, there is no good reason to not make it a state.

And let's also talk about Guam as well. They should have a bid for statehood if DC can.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Thoughts on Puerto Rico statehood?

Same argument as judged appropriate for any prospective state.

From a cultural perspective:
Obviously Puerto Ricans should be applauded for wanting to preserve their culture however becoming a state would involve, at least to some extent, allowing some culture from the mainland to mix in.
And that's not difficult at all because Puerto Ricans who come to the mainland to live have little difficulty mainstreaming here.
So in essence, we're really only talking about bringing some of that mainstreaming aboard in Puerto Rico.
We're all cousins, so this is really just a move toward being more like brothers and sisters, it's not that complicated.

From a fiscal perspective:
Puerto Rico is a mess, and it has been a mess for quite some time.
Some of it is due to the way the Federal Government has treated Puerto Rico and some is due to endemic corruption found in a lot of satellite territories owned by a mainland republic.

There's no guaranteed cookie cutter approach to rid the territory of that corruption, the people have to be willing to rethink and retool their approach.
That means an end to the old way of doing things down there. The new way will be fraught with all kinds of startup growing pains for a while, as has been the case with every new state that has come into the Union before.

 

[Chillfolks]

And let's also talk about Guam as well. They should have a bid for statehood if DC can.

You'll need to check with Hank Johnson first and make sure it hasn't tipped over into the ocean yet

 

[CaughtInThe]

no way Republicans let this happen...

Demographic profile	2010[107]	1990[108]	1970[108]	1940[108]
White	38.5%	29.6%	27.7%	71.5%
—Non-Hispanic whites	34.8%	27.4%	26.5%[109]	71.4%
Black or African American	50.7%	65.8%	71.1%	28.2%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	9.1%	5.4%	2.1%[109]	0.1%
Asian	3.5%	1.8%	0.6%	0.2%

 

[Chillfolks]

no way Republicans let this happen...

Demographic profile	2010[107]	1990[108]	1970[108]	1940[108]
White	38.5%	29.6%	27.7%	71.5%
—Non-Hispanic whites	34.8%	27.4%	26.5%[109]	71.4%
Black or African American	50.7%	65.8%	71.1%	28.2%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	9.1%	5.4%	2.1%[109]	0.1%
Asian	3.5%	1.8%	0.6%	0.2%

Good there is no reason to make DC a state when it can be reabsored into Maryland to solve any issues of representation.

 

[Bok Tuklo]

There's a big constitutional question too - given that it was both established by the original constitution, and later given representation through the 23 amendment. These make it pretty clear that the district has a special status as the seat of government, NOT a state. Another amendment would be required to untangle these.

I disagree. DC will still exist. It will just be smaller. The Constitution doesn’t set its borders.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Good there is no reason to make DC a state when it can be reabsored into Maryland to solve any issues of representation.

tbh, i've always thought VA and WVa should be one state again.

 

[Chillfolks]

tbh, i've always thought VA and WVa should be one state again.

WVA has enough sence not to join VA in its current state of affairs.

 

[JustAFella]

And let's also talk about Guam as well. They should have a bid for statehood if DC can.

No objection here.

 

[Cardinal]

I see Manchin blowing this up should it make it to the Senate. He's absolutely loving being the King-maker right now and adding two Senators would dilute this power his weilding right now.

House committee approves D.C. statehood, a once-fringe issue now central to Democrats​

​

Legislation to make D.C. the 51st state was approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Wednesday, teeing up the bill’s expected passage in the full House for the second consecutive year possibly as soon as next week.​

​

The Democratic-majority committe voted along party lines to pass D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Washington, D.C. Admission Act, quashing every Republican amendment during Wednesday’s markup. Though largely expected, the vote injects another shot of momentum in Democrats’ favor as they seek to seize on their majorities in Congress and control of the White House to push D.C. statehood further than it has gone before. Once a fringe issue, giving statehood to those who live in the nation’s capital has become a central part of the party’s voting-rights platform.​

Every single issue ends in the Manchin cul-de-sac. It's made politics boring.

 

[CaughtInThe]

WVA has enough sence not to join VA in its current state of affairs.

they should both still be one state.

 

[Integrityrespec]

I support the DC initiative. DC has more people than Vermont or Wyoming.

IMO, It's not time yet for Puerto Rico statehood.

Read the Constitution. This is not about voting, it's about democrat leaders making a power grab and to make sure it happens they now are submitting a bill to add to SCOTUS. All this is just power grabs by extremist who don't like America. Extreme socialist and communist are making their move to do away with the United States of America.

 

[Chillfolks]

they should both still be one state.

I'm not opposed to the idea. The influx of Republican voters would help erase the stain that Coonman left on VA and possibly flip a few house seats and possibly a Senate seat.