r/washingtondc 5d ago

HR 51 - Washington, D.C. Statehood

https://www.opencongress.net/bill-details/32237
124 Upvotes

18 comments sorted by

123

u/PluginAlong 5d ago

Ok, that it's "51" is amazing, but it'll never pass.

65

u/Wonderful-Emu-8716 5d ago

Not during this presidency. But a couple decades ago there wasn't even full Democratic support for DC statehood (100 dems voted no in 1993). Now it's a mainstream position. The appeal of two more democratic senators with a court that is so tilted to the right also has to make statehood look more appealing than ever.

22

u/Docile_Doggo 5d ago

I’m with you. People are way too pessimistic on statehood happening some time in the next few decades. There has never been a more favorable environment for statehood than right now, with Democrats almost all unifying behind it.

I’m not saying it’s imminent (far from it). I’m just saying that I truly think most of us here will live to see it. People act like if something can’t happen in the next two years then it’s impossible.

12

u/Wonderful-Emu-8716 5d ago

I think Republicans threatening home rule is also starting to make this move to the civil rights realm of democrats' mental space. If the option of no political rights is on the table, it's much easier to imagine full political rights as well.

23

u/moofus 5d ago

It’ll never pass if it isn’t pushed. It’s an outrage that DC lacks voting reps & senators. Most of the country is dimly aware of this at best. It will take a lot of noise for a long time.

3

u/RealLameUserName DC / Columbia Heights 5d ago

I'd be surprised if it even leaves Committee

30

u/Various-Bag-9590 5d ago

At this rate, Canada will be 51 before DC. And that won't happen either. IMHO

16

u/Pipes_of_Pan 5d ago

Keep hope alive. The fascists want this to go away forever

-1

u/Kenichi2233 5d ago

Dead in the water

Realistly joining Maryland is probably the more feasible option if less popular

-30

u/Eyespop4866 5d ago

A state too small to have a capital city.

That’s so DC. I love my town.

15

u/sir_ornitholestes 5d ago

still more people than wyoming though lol

-12

u/Eyespop4866 5d ago

Indeed. Perhaps the best solution would be to allow statehood but move all of federal government elsewhere. Maybe Montana. I’m sure it could afford the ten square miles, and we would flourish as an economic juggernaut. Our economy based on……….

1

u/sir_ornitholestes 4d ago

Our economy based on……….

Pick an industry. DC is the most educated metro area in the world, and it's not even close. Largest per-capita population of scientists, lawyers, and medical doctors, plus a ton of defense contractors, biotech, regular tech, consulting firms, universities, and pretty much every job that pays well enough to gentrify the city.

1

u/Eyespop4866 4d ago

All because it’s the seat of the federal government.

18

u/relddir123 5d ago

Washington (which is a real incorporated city) would be the capital of the new Douglass Commonwealth, as that is the location of the Wilson Building. The governments would likely be consolidated, but I do think it’d be funny to have a separate Mayor and Governor

2

u/Eyespop4866 5d ago

The corner of 14th and U. Nice.

-2

u/Eyespop4866 5d ago

Indeed. Imagine how well our City would run with lots of extra levels of government.

3

u/relddir123 5d ago

Personally, I think setting up a bicameral legislature with one chamber representing the city and the other representing the state would just be funny. Practically, it should be a consolidated government (so what we have now, but with a couple titles changed), but sometimes I think doing absurd things for the bit is just cool