DC delegate in Congress again introduces statehood bill

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on Thursday introduced a bill that would make Washington, D.C., the 51st state.

Holmes Norton said the measure has 151 co-sponsors, a record high for the legislation, which she has introduced several times before, including the most recent Congress.

{mosads}She said in a statement that House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) is committed to holding a hearing and markup for the bill this year, the first time since 1993.

“A hearing and markup will provide a prime opportunity to inform and remind Americans that over 700,000 of their fellow citizens who live in the nation’s capital are denied their basic democratic rights,” Norton said.

Statehood for D.C. would result in two more U.S. senators and likely one additional voting representative in the House. As a delegate, Norton is not permitted to vote on the final passage of legislation.

D.C. voters in 2016 supported a draft constitution that would turn the District into a state.

Federal premises such as the U.S. Capitol and national monuments would remain under federal jurisdiction if Norton’s bill is signed into law.

The measure has faced GOP opposition in the past, due in large part to the high percentage of registered Democrats in D.C.