The Democrat leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives has scheduled a vote next week, June 26th, to make the District of Columbia the 51st state.
Congressman Bennie Thompson (D) has come out in support of the effort, tweeting, “Looking forward to voting next week to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state.”
Looking forward to voting next week to make Washington, D.C. the 51st state. https://t.co/rZnub3i1SH
— Bennie G. Thompson (@BennieGThompson) June 17, 2020
According to PBS, “More than enough lawmakers are officially backing the bill for it to pass.”
President Donald Trump has said that “D.C. will never be a state,” and Republicans oppose the measure as it would likely add two Democrat U.S. Senators to the ranks of Congress given the voting demographics of D.C.
House Resolution 1 passed in April on a pure party line vote of 243-193. It stated, “District of Columbia residents deserve full congressional voting rights and self-government, which only statehood can provide.”
Congressman Thompson voted with his Democrat leadership to approve the resolution while Mississippi’s three Republican Congressmen – Steven Palazzo, Trent Kelly and Michael Guest – voted against the measure.
A similar vote by Mississippi’s delegation is expected on the D.C. statehood vote next week.
