Statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico only needs 50 votes

The Week ^ | Jon Walker

[Anti-Bubba182]

Many journalists and political commentators have been pessimistic about the possibility of statehood for the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This seems to be primarily because, despite the recent Democratic victories in Georgia, moderate senators like Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Diane Feinstein (D-Calif), and Angus King (I-Maine) continue to support the legislative filibuster. It is impossible to imagine Republican senators voting to give Democratic-leaning areas full representation, so the issue must be dead on arrival in the upper chamber. But in a recent CNN interview, Manchin himself provided evidence for why this thinking is all wrong......."

[Segovia]

Have you ever BEEN to Puerto Rico? Wake up and smell the coffeffee.

[Segovia]

DC used to be part of Maryland. The argument should be to just rejoin DC to Maryland.

except that half that plot came from Virginia. so there’s that.

[Segovia]

I just freakin’ LOVE the way your mind works!

[hawkaw]

I like your idea.

[x]

Segregationists didn't want Hawaii in the union, and they weren't that crazy about Alaska entering either (two more Northern senators). Democrats controlled Congress and Southerners had the filibuster. Some in Congress thought that Alaska was too poor and empty to be a state, and there were people in both territories who didn't want statehood.

Alaska and Hawaii statehood were presented together in hopes that objections to either would cancel out. The funny thing was that Republicans wanted Hawaii in and Democrats wanted Alaska. That's exactly the opposite of how things turned out.

[Segovia]

agreed, and they have borders which they aggressively defend.

[Crucial]

Right, DC statehood is definitely unconstitutional.

[Trump20162020]

Okay.

[doug from upland]

Because of particular state laws, I have revised the list.

Arizona must appoint same party

Vermont would hold special election

Still looking through each state laws.

How are they going to leave office? Car accident? In the world of Hillary, accidents happen all the time.

[going hot]

Cool, then we could own land there, and vote in their elections! LOL

[gleeaikin]

I think DC is following the Tennessee path to statehood. Over 70% of DC voters have approved a draft Constitution. I don’t think that Constitution includes anything about votes inside the Federal enclave which is outlined in the document and contains most/all? the Federal buildings. DC has more residents than Vermont and Wyoming. DC residents have no desire to be part of Maryland, and I think that there is not much interest to do that in MD either. Perhaps DC should get the Virginia portion back they lost around 1846 because Alexandria did not want to loose it’s slave market. This would put a lot of VA Dems. into DC and VA would have a better chance of being Republican.

As to the situation with Puerto Rico, various votes regarding desire for statehood have had mixed results. Perhaps someone in PR would have a better sense of the situation and comment here. DC residents are annoyed that they pay a lot more into the Federal treasury than they get back in grants. The situation in this area is very different in PR which pays no Federal income tax. One solution suggested for DC is to only require 2/5ths Federal tax since they can only vote for President and VP, but no Representative or 2 Senators.

[Bellagio]

Do you have ANY awareness of the constitution prohibition on DC statehood?

No, you can’t add/make/vote DC as a state. By design & codified in the Constitution... the constitution established DC as the Federal seat of government.

The prohibition of statehood for the capital is enshrined in the Constitution.

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the document reads, “The Congress shall have Power 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.”

An Amendment is required to change that prohibition and will NEVER happen!

[NWFree]

Hard to believe it’s that easy to add new ‘states’ but so much more difficult to secede.

[theoilpainter]

Thanks. Do you believe DC statehood requires a constitutional amendment? If yes, should the dems try to push this thru without one, who has standing to sue?

[gleeaikin]

I don’t have a “belief” about the amendment issue. My understanding is that the Tennessee approach is being following. Feel free to see what Google or others have to say. I am more concerned with working the Covid issue as I know plenty of others are working the Statehood issue.

https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/TE10039.html This detailed document may interest you. Congressional Research Service 4: deals with the idea of a smaller Federal enclave among other issues.

Regarding this statement: “The Congress shall have Power To …exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square)...” Please note the wording “not exceeding ten Miles square”. The draft Constitution voted on and approved by DC voters includes such a clearly defined Federal “District.” that does not exceed 10 miles square. What becomes the state of DC is the area outside that area (Federal District) where almost all the population of DC actually resides. No other major world capital deprives it’s citizens of the rights that all other citizens of that country have to vote how their taxes are spent and by whom. To not allow a population bigger than Vermont and Wyoming violates the very thing for which we originally threw the tea into Boston Harbor—TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. If conservative politicians cannot convince DC residents of the value of their ideas, this does not give them the right to deprive tax paying citizens of their basic civil rights to vote on how their tax money should be allocated. If the conservative view is that this is right, then they cannot consider themselves true conservativators of the republican and Constitutional ideals. As I said earlier, since PR residents are not “beneficiaries” of IRS 1040 tax bills, their situation is different from that of DC.

[Bellagio]

LOL! That report and admission act is a political boondoggle of wishful thinking, let alone absurd on its face and would NEVER pass SCOTUS scrutiny let alone be entertained. Nothing but a PR stunt!

DC was NEVER intended to have an elected mayor and a represented civilian/public population. The level of political chicanery, the bribes, the favor; colluding by caucus, corruption and partisan influence would be off the pandering and lobbying charts as congressional power-brokers would be vying for their representative and senate vote! That’s the whole wicked reason behind HR 51... to gain a political advantage. Not a caring and compassionate act to weep for disenfranchised tax-payers! Are you kidding me??!!

After 1791 establishing the 10 sq/mile district, then came the 1801 organic act and ceded part of DC by retro-cession back to Virginia in 1846.

So what’s the problem?? Push to use retro-cession of the (residence/business area of DC) cede it back to Maryland if they want representation and those ‘disenfranchised’ will have it presto-change-o with Maryland! Lopping a part of DC off and claiming statehood is complete NONSENSE and its only interest for doing that is political and power!

Nope... complete lunacy and is purely a power grab that caters to the overwhelming welfare/food-stamp dependent class in order to stack congress in favor of Dems.

[gleeaikin]

I get the impression that you are not aware that DC is no longer majority black population. In recent years, some DC Republican politicians have ran for office on the idea of seeking tax free territorial status for DC. If you think that political chicanery, bribes, favors, etc. are a problem now, imagine what would happen in a tax free DC. Many multi million and billionaires moving to DC to have NO taxes and close access to all the folks in Congress AND more money to give them. The link below has the arguments currently being used to support DC statehood:

https://statehood.dc.gov/page/why-statehood-dc

[Snerdley]

One State to Rule them All
and In the Darkness Bind them!

[Bellagio]

I commented welfare in general, and made no reference to any specific demographic. Your implication is out of line.

From the link...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Statehood for Washington, DC is constitutional:

The Constitution sets only a maximum size, “ten miles square,” for the federal district that is the “Seat of the Government of the United States.” Congress has the authority to redefine the borders of the federal district and shrink its size, as it did in 1846, when the portion west of the Potomac was returned to Virginia (now Arlington and Alexandria Counties.

((( Pure nonsense in argument and reason. Like I said. Absolutely NO reason/basis that justifies turning a population center into a state. ZERO! An absurd stunt meant only to gain political advantage. I see no reasoned argument that could claim any semblance of rational thought that anyone can seriously entertain the idea! Let alone delude to pretending their is one while feigning an emotional sales-pitch!

You achieve the same result by retro-cession without the need for creating a state. Achieves the goal... representation, Done! )))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Path to Statehood:

Mayor Muriel Bowser and the New Columbia Statehood Commission decided to pursue statehood through what is known as the “Tennessee Plan.” Under the Tennessee Plan, the prospective state’s electorate votes on statehood and ratifies a constitution, without an enabling act, and then uses this as a basis to petition Congress for admission. This approach was pioneered by Tennessee in 1796 and used by Michigan, Iowa, California, Oregon, Kansas, and Alaska to gain admission to the Union.

((( LOL! More nonsense. Deliberate gaming of a process in order to apply it to a lopped off piece of land. Very disingenuous in its scheme.

Not at all sincere in its intention! This is simply greed over honor. Honor demands that congress would pass a retro-cession act and the territory would be annexed back into Maryland. )))

Again.... the entire argument is a stunt.

[va22030]

DC statehood is illegal

DC mayor, administration , police, electoral votes, pretend house rep ... everything should be illegal.

As national capital it should be under direct control of administrator appointed by federal government's department of interior. Policed by federal troops/national guards.

People there can vote in MD or VA congressional districts and senate seats as per demarcation.