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

[Chillfolks]

I support statehood. How many different ways are you going to ask the same question?

Just trying to understand why you support statehood

 

[Chillfolks]

Yeah, I think if we're going to do this, that the best method is to return it to Maryland....though I'm pretty sure Maryland doesn't want it.

Its the logical solution. I think Maryland woukd be interested in the tax revenue, the eventual increased representation, there is a lot of tourism dollars to be had.

 

[Ikari]

Its the logical solution. I think Maryland woukd be interested in the tax revenue, the eventual increased representation, there is a lot of tourism dollars to be had.

Yeah, but isn't the crime really bad? Not sure what DC's statistics are. I don't mind DC obtaining "representation", though it was supposed to be the seat of the Federal government and was separate for a reason. However, I think making it its own State is unnecessary.

 

[Phys251]

Not if DC no longer had residents - as would be the case if it’s (residential) territory was returned to Maryland.

The Constitution doesn't clarify what the electoral college should do for a zero-population state, which DC is solely for the purpose of the EC.

 

[Chillfolks]

Yeah, but isn't the crime really bad? Not sure what DC's statistics are. I don't mind DC obtaining "representation", though it was supposed to be the seat of the Federal government and was separate for a reason. However, I think making it its own State is unnecessary.

I could see a hybrid plan that would allow the cirizens of DC to vote and be represented by Maryland's Reps and Senators. Of course adjust house seats aa nessecary. And at the same time not vote for Maryland state offices but instead keep the residents of DC voting for the equivalent offices on the district. It wpuld guve representation on a federal level, but actually keep DC independent from any state allowing them to govern themselves as they currently do on local matters also keeping any stats like crime, wealth, demographics etc for their own not added to another states numbers.

 

[Individual]

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

If the land occupied by permanent residents of what is now DC were to be returned to Maryland, there would be no vote count for DC as those residents would be casting votes in the State of Maryland. The land occupied by Federal government is not residential land and those elected/appointed to serve in Federal government would cast their votes in their home State. I haven't checked, but Maryland may or may not gain a House seat as a result, but having 8 House seats, 7 Democrat and 1 Republican, it would likely make it easy to eliminate the Republican as a result of redistricting.

 

[Nickyjo]

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

Didn't know that. Why or how do you figure that was the reason?

 

[HangLow]

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.​

​

 

[bomberfox]

So you're OK letting corporate lobbyists have three slam-dunk EVs? Really? What happens if we have a repeat of 2000? What would have happened in 2020 if PA, GA, and DC had all gone red?

Huh?

 

[tres borrachos]

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.​

I've always been good with this, even when I was a Republican.

 

[austrianecon]

National parks are funded by congress in the states as well.

National Parks are federal lands in which Uncle Sam has taken land from the State using donated land, to other means of having States declare Eminent Domain and the big one which is used now.. Land and Water Conservation Fund.. Ever wonder why Federal Government owns tons of land in the Western US but not much in the Eastern US?

Shenadoah National Park wasn't created until the Great Depression. In late 1920s State of VA started offering the poorest people as their crops failed money to leave the land (Eminent Domain) cause the Gov. of VA wanted a National Park as his little pet project. Then donated the land to Uncle Sam.

 

[austrianecon]

If the land occupied by permanent residents of what is now DC were to be returned to Maryland, there would be no vote count for DC as those residents would be casting votes in the State of Maryland. The land occupied by Federal government is not residential land and those elected/appointed to serve in Federal government would cast their votes in their home State. I haven't checked, but Maryland may or may not gain a House seat as a result, but having 8 House seats, 7 Democrat and 1 Republican, it would likely make it easy to eliminate the Republican as a result of redistricting.

No, Maryland will always have 1 Republican. It's 1st district or 6th in Western Maryland. 6th is toss up. Couple on Congresses as Dem, Couple as a Repub. Bringing in Residents of DC wouldn't just add a district. 9 seat houses and give 6th a more favorable Repub district (as you would lose NW DC suburbs for a new district. So there will always be 1 Republican seat in Maryland or Dems could be 3 of their 7 seats toss ups if they tried to get fancy.

 

[Individual]

No, Maryland will always have 1 Republican. It's 1st district or 6th in Western Maryland. 6th is toss up. Couple on Congresses as Dem, Couple as a Repub. Bringing in Residents of DC wouldn't just add a district. 9 seat houses and give 6th a more favorable Repub district (as you would lose NW DC suburbs for a new district. So there will always be 1 Republican seat in Maryland or Dems could be 3 of their 7 seats toss ups if they tried to get fancy.

Impossible to gerrymander the districts then?

 

[austrianecon]

Impossible to gerrymander the districts then?

They are already gerrymandered. Look at a Congressional district map of Maryland. Maryland districts, 6th and 8th are designed for NW of DC votes. You can create a 9th of them and DC voters. Basically Frederick County would have to go 6th, and Montgomery County and DC would be come 2 if Dems want to play it safe.

 

[Individual]

They are already gerrymandered. Look at a Congressional district map of Maryland. Maryland districts, 6th and 8th are designed for NW of DC votes. You can create a 9th of them and DC voters. Basically Frederick County would have to go 6th, and Montgomery County and DC would be come 2 if Dems want to play it safe.

So they could be.

 

[mrjurrs]

National Parks are federal lands in which Uncle Sam has taken land from the State using donated land, to other means of having States declare Eminent Domain and the big one which is used now.. Land and Water Conservation Fund.. Ever wonder why Federal Government owns tons of land in the Western US but not much in the Eastern US?

Shenadoah National Park wasn't created until the Great Depression. In late 1920s State of VA started offering the poorest people as their crops failed money to leave the land (Eminent Domain) cause the Gov. of VA wanted a National Park as his little pet project. Then donated the land to Uncle Sam.

Why is there more federal land in the west than the east? Because the west didn't gain statehood until much later.

 

[austrianecon]

Why is there more federal land in the west than the east? Because the west didn't gain statehood until much later.

Has nothing to do with it. As the later created National Parks are in the East. Rather it's laws like Antiquities Act of 1906, Wilderness Act of 1964, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 1968. That basically gave Uncle Sam the right to take land. National Park Service has 84 million acres, 247.3 million acres by Bureau of Land Management.

From 1990 to 2013, Federal Government increased it's land in Ohio by 23%.

 

[mrjurrs]

Has nothing to do with it. As the later created National Parks are in the East. Rather it's laws like Antiquities Act of 1906, Wilderness Act of 1964, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 1968. That basically gave Uncle Sam the right to take land. National Park Service has 84 million acres, 247.3 million acres by Bureau of Land Management.

From 1990 to 2013, Federal Government increased it's land in Ohio by 23%.

5 western states were admitted after 1906. Any land not privately held when a state was admitted became federal land. Eminent domain is a long-standing power of the govt to take land for the public benefit.

 

[austrianecon]

5 western states were admitted after 1906. Any land not privately held when a state was admitted became federal land. Eminent domain is a long-standing power of the govt to take land for the public benefit.

Oklahoma was 1907 and that's midwest. Alaska and Hawaii (which actually has very little Federal land) in 1949. Oregon, Montana, Utah, California, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada are the majority of the Federal lands. All admitted long before 1906. Federal laws like those I listed were used to take that land.

Eminent domain is abused. I think we all remember Kelo v. City of New London.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

it should be. VA and WVa should go back to being one state. North and South Dakota should be one state. North and South Carolina should be one state.

Then California and New York should get broken up.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

The 23rd Amendment would cause a problem.

It's going to be a problem no matter what, in one way or another.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Then California and New York should get broken up.

Hang on. People here are talking about adding states together not breaking them up.

And they're doing so for political reasons of course.

My posts were mostly sarcasm to show that what they are suggesting could be suggested with other States for political reasons as well.

And your post, which I've been waiting on, is about breaking up States for political reasons too.




Now, if you actually look at the population numbers of people who are represented by Democratic versus Republican senators, Democratic senators already represent way more people than Republican senators.

Just using pretend numbers, why should 50 senators represent 100 people and 50 other senators represent 2,000 people?

 

[poweRob]

Then California and New York should get broken up.

I agree. Make a state out of each of the 5 NY City boroughs.

 

[Cardinal]

Then California and New York should get broken up.

I'm down with that.

 

[Cope]

Hang on. People here are talking about adding states together not breaking them up.

And they're doing so for political reasons of course.

My posts were mostly sarcasm to show that what they are suggesting could be suggested with other States for political reasons as well.

And your post, which I've been waiting on, is about breaking up States for political reasons too.




Now, if you actually look at the population numbers of people who are represented by Democratic versus Republican senators, Democratic senators already represent way more people than Republican senators.

Just using pretend numbers, why should 50 senators represent 100 people and 50 other senators represent 2,000 people?

I mean the easy answer is in your statement... Senator has something to do with it.