Written bu Urvi Sakurikar
In a 216-208 vote on Thursday, House Democrats approved the “Washington, D.C. Admission Act” (H.R 51), which allows for Washington D.C. to join the Union as a State.
Currently, Washington, D.C. has three electoral votes, but its Congressional representative, Rep. Holmes Norton, cannot vote on legislation. This is because the Country’s founders believed the nation’s capital should be an apolitical area.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the bill, claiming that it will “empower [the people of D.C.] to participate fully in our democracy.” However, she is not fooling anyone.
HR 51 is not about empowerment, but rather about “…creating two new Democrat US Senate seats,” GOP Rep. James Comer of Kentucky said during a committee markup of the bill last week, according to CNN.
Along with Speaker Pelosi, all members of “The Squad” have sponsored the bill, including Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Omar, Rep. Tlaib, and Rep. Pressley.
The bill is nothing more than yet another shameless grab for power on the part of the Democrats, and unfortunately has an official endorsement from the Biden administration. After the approval from the House, the bill will move to the Senate.
In order to win a Senate vote, either 10 Republicans would have to side with Democrats or the filibuster would have to be ended; an idea floated by some Democrats, but opposed by others.
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