Congress has the express constitutional power to add new states to our nation by enacting simple legislation, a power it has used repeatedly throughout history. It should exercise this power to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state, ensuring that Americans living in the District of Columbia have full voting rights, political representation in Congress, and control over their local affairs. Bills recently introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate provide a vehicle to bring democracy to our nation’s capital.
The denial of full voting rights to the 700,000 people living in Washington D.C. is a shameful blight on our democracy. Residents of the District of Columbia pay taxes and serve our country in myriad ways, but are locked out of our democratic system of government. They have no right to vote for U.S. Senators or full-fledged members of the House of Representatives, yet federal lawmakers possess a veto over decisions made by the District’s local government. As the tragic events of January 6’s Capitol riot illustrate, because of the District’s anomalous status, its chosen leaders cannot seek the assistance of the National Guard to repel assaults by domestic terrorists without the sign-off of the President and Department of Defense. As the Capitol insurrection shows, the denial of democracy poses a serious threat to national security and personal safety in our nation’s capital.