Washington DC Statehood.

[PACOX]

Voters in the District of Columbia passed a measure on Tuesday in favor of petitioning Congress to become a state in the union.

79 percent of voters cast votes in favor of the ballot measure, which splits the district into a residential state with a small federal district in the middle of it for government buildings and monuments, as we have reported.

The newly approved measure had four parts:

agree that the District should be admitted to the Union as the State of New Columbia
approve of a Constitution of the State of New Columbia to be adopted by the Council
approve the State of New Columbia's boundaries
agree that the State of New Columbia shall guarantee an elected representative form of government.

Now that it has passed, the petition will go to Congress, which has the power to permit or deny it. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told the Washington Post she would move quickly and deliver a petition for D.C. statehood to the president-elect and congressional leaders by Inauguration Day.

Washington DC successfully its local petition to become a state with an overwhelming majority. But should it become a state and would Congress allow for it to happen?

If DC becomes a state it would means that DC gets actual representation in the House and Senate, representatives who will more than likely be Democrats or left leaning independents. Would a Red Congress allow such a thing?

[Independent voter]

Would it be our smallest state?

[Wyrt]

It's long over due for the people of DC to be properly represented in the government.

[Pruke]

Would it be our smallest state?

Yes it would be the smallest state.

[Mormolyce]

It's long over due for the people of DC to be properly represented in the government.

Just say you won't be paying your taxation until you have representation :P

[Polyxo]

I'm not entirely sure about statehood, but they should have some degree of representation.

[Buckeyenut88]

Yes it would be the smallest state.

By size but by population it would not be.

[Brightamethyst]

Isn't DC's entire existence based on the idea that the capitol shouldn't be part of any specific state?

[unbound]

Would it be our smallest state?

Physically yes. Based on population it would actually be bigger than either Vermont or Wyoming.

[xChurch]

Just say you won't be paying your taxation until you have representation :P

I'm almost surprised they haven't tried this, or at least to make a show of it like they are. I doubt very many people realize that DC gets pretty much no say in anything in spite of being fairly populous.

Isn't DC's entire existence based on the idea that the capitol shouldn't be part of any specific state?

To be fair, that was thought of long before DC became massive.

[Kellhound]

At most, the land should be returned to Maryland and Virginia.

[Halicia]

To be fair, that was thought of long before DC became massive.

or constructed.

[xChurch]

or constructed.

Right...that too, sorry being Canadian my US history is kind of shoddy. Really goes to show though, times have changed.

I doubt Congress' would actually allow DC statehood just because they get to exert a pretty large degree of control over it as things are.

[alexw]

It would add two democratic senators and thereby reduce the republican bias built into the system so its a total no-go to republican hacks like Ryan. But this is Trump we are talking about here. A man who doesn't owe Paul Ryan anything, and doesn't give a damn about anyone other than himself. So the hell knows what he would do on issues like this. If the local leaders stoke his ego enough Trump may well throw them his support.

[PACOX]

At most, the land should be returned to Maryland and Virginia.

I don't think those in DC would like to suddenly be under the jurisdiction of Maryland or Virginia.

[Polyxo]

They already have representation in the form of a delegate to the house. They don't have the same voting privileges as a regular representative, but it's "some degree of representation". They need full representation though.

Well, right, what I was suggesting is making Norton an actual representative.

[Independent voter]

Isn't DC's entire existence based on the idea that the capitol shouldn't be part of any specific state?

Yes, but the states were worried that if it were part of Virginia say, Virginia would receive favoritism. Same if it's made a state, it might get favoritism somehow from Congress.

[Kellhound]

I don't think those in DC would like to suddenly be under the jurisdiction of Maryland or Virginia.

It would be the only fair thing to do for MD and VA, and who cares about people who chose to live in a city w/o representation and complain about it.

[alexw]

It's not Trump's decision though.

Its not but if Trump threw his weight behind it, it would add a big deal of impetus to their cause.

That leads me to another thought. How will Trump handle being told no? There's a lot of things hes promised his supporters that republicans in congress will tell him a big fat no to. How will he respond? We KNOW he doesn't take hits to his ego at all well.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

Its not but if Trump threw his weight behind it, it would add a big deal of impetus to their cause.

That leads me to another thought. How will Trump handle being told no? There's a lot of things hes promised his supporters that republicans in congress will tell him a big fat no to. How will he respond? We KNOW he doesn't take hits to his ego at all well.

Truth be told? He goes on TV and tells everyone that a few people in Washington are stopping his revolution and then we watch the pressure mount.