District of Columbia statehood movement facts for kids

The Flag of the District of Columbia

A protest flag from 2002, supporting D.C. statehood

The District of Columbia statehood movement is a political effort to make Washington, D.C. a full U.S. state. This would give the people living in D.C. a say in the U.S. Congress and full control over their local government.

Right now, D.C. is a special federal district. This means the United States Congress has the final say over its laws. People are still debating if D.C. can become a state just by a law from Congress, or if it needs a change to the U.S. Constitution. Other ideas, like giving D.C. back to Maryland or just giving its residents more voting rights, have also been discussed. If D.C. became a state, it would be the first new state since 1959.

As a state, D.C. would be small in land area, but it would have a lot of people living close together. It would be the most crowded state! It also has a very strong economy and a highly educated population.

For many years, the proposed new state was called State of New Columbia. However, recent plans in Congress suggest the name State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. This name would honor Frederick Douglass, a famous abolitionist. Using "Washington" in the state name could cause confusion with Washington State.

Why D.C. Was Created

A design for a 51-star U.S. flag

The Constitution's District Clause

In the late 1700s, leaders like James Madison thought the U.S. capital should be separate from any state. They believed Congress needed its own special area to govern without influence from a single state. This idea led to the "District Clause" in the U.S. Constitution.

This clause, found in Article I, Section 8, Clause 17, says that Congress has the 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.

Basically, this meant Congress would have complete control over the capital city, which could be up to 10 miles by 10 miles (100 square miles).

Madison believed that people living in this new federal district would still have a voice in their government.

Early Voting Rights Discussions

In 1788, Maryland gave the land for D.C. to the U.S. government. In 1790, Congress chose the exact spot for the capital. The capital officially moved there in December 1800.

Before 1801, D.C. was partly governed by Maryland and Virginia laws. But in 1801, Congress passed the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801. This law put D.C. completely under Congress's control. Because D.C. was no longer part of any state, its residents lost their right to vote for members of Congress and for president. They also lost the right to make their own local laws.

This upset many D.C. citizens. In 1801, they protested, saying they were being "taxed without representation." This was the same complaint Americans had against Great Britain before the Revolutionary War.

People started talking about giving D.C. residents voting rights almost immediately. Some suggested changing the Constitution, while others thought about giving the land back to Maryland. In 1803, some in Congress worried that if D.C. became a territory, it would soon want to become a state.

Civil Rights Era and the 23rd Amendment

Efforts to give D.C. residents more rights grew during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. This led to the Twenty-third Amendment in 1961. This amendment gave D.C. votes in the Electoral College, which means D.C. residents can vote for president. They have had this right since the 1964 presidential election.

Even with the right to vote for president, D.C. citizens still couldn't vote for members of Congress. More attempts were made to pass laws or amendments to fix this. In 1978, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was proposed, but it didn't get enough support from states to become part of the Constitution.

The Push for Statehood (1980s–2015)

A "D.C. Statehood Now!" flag at the 2013 Presidential Inauguration

After the voting rights amendment failed, D.C. voters started pushing for full statehood. In 1980, they voted to hold a special meeting to write a proposed state constitution. This is how U.S. territories usually prepare to become states. The proposed constitution was approved by D.C. voters in 1982, and it suggested the new state be called "New Columbia."

Since then, many statehood bills have been introduced in Congress. In 1993, the House of Representatives voted on D.C. statehood, but it was defeated.

D.C. also elects "shadow" senators and a "shadow" representative. These people are not officially recognized by Congress, but they work to convince Congress to grant statehood.

In 2014, President Barack Obama supported D.C. statehood, just like President Bill Clinton had in 1993. Obama said D.C. residents pay taxes and contribute to the country, so they should have representation. D.C. residents actually pay more federal taxes than people in 22 other states!

Recent Statehood Efforts

2016 Statehood Referendum

In April 2016, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called for a city-wide vote on statehood. A proposed state constitution was released. On November 8, 2016, D.C. voters overwhelmingly supported statehood, with 86% voting yes. The proposed state name on the ballot was "State of New Columbia," but the D.C. Council later changed it to "State of Washington, D.C.," with "D.C." standing for "Douglass Commonwealth" to honor Frederick Douglass.

D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51)

In March 2017, D.C.'s delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, introduced the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. This bill would make D.C. a state.

In June 2020, the House of Representatives passed this bill. This happened after protests brought attention to D.C.'s lack of control over its own National Guard, which is usually controlled by state governors. The bill did not pass in the Senate. In January 2021, Delegate Norton reintroduced the bill.

The Washington, D.C. Admission Act would create the state of "Washington, Douglass Commonwealth." As a state, it would get two senators and one representative in the House. The bill would also create a small federal district called "the Capital." This area would include the White House, U.S. Capitol, and other federal buildings. The bill also aims to deal with the 23rd Amendment, which gives the current D.C. three electoral votes for president.

In April 2021, the House passed the bill again. A similar bill, S. 51, was introduced in the Senate in January 2021.

Why People Support Statehood

Right to Govern

People who support D.C. statehood argue that D.C.'s 706,000 residents are U.S. citizens. They believe these citizens should have the same right to choose their leaders and make their own laws as people in other states. D.C. has more residents than Vermont and Wyoming.

Under the Constitution, Congress has complete power over D.C. This has caused problems, like Congress controlling D.C.'s budget. Mayor Muriel Bowser has also said that if D.C. were a state, its governor could have called out the National Guard faster during the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.

Civil and Human Rights

D.C. residents do not have voting representation in Congress. This has led to debates about their civil rights. For example, U.S. citizens living overseas can vote for their home state's representatives. But if a U.S. citizen moves to D.C., they lose their voting representation in Congress.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has criticized the U.S. for denying D.C. residents voting rights. Some people also argue that denying statehood is unfair to D.C.'s large African-American population. They point out that D.C. residents of color and women are especially affected by being taxed without full representation.

Tax Arguments

Unlike U.S. territories, D.C. citizens pay all U.S. federal taxes. In 2007, D.C. residents and businesses paid $20.4 billion in federal taxes. This was more than the taxes collected from 19 states. D.C. also has the highest federal taxes per person.

This situation led to the slogan "End Taxation Without Representation". Since 2000, D.C. license plates have featured this phrase. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama even put these plates on their limousines. President Donald Trump continued to use them, but he said he was against D.C. statehood.

Why Some People Oppose Statehood

National Capital Should Be Independent

Some people believe the national capital should be separate from any state. James Madison argued that if the government depended on a state for protection, it could be influenced by that state. This could make the government seem unfair or weak.

Small Capital and Presidential Power

Current statehood plans would create a very small federal district for government buildings. This "Capital" would include the White House and Capitol. However, the 23rd Amendment gives the U.S. capital at least three electoral votes for president.

Critics worry that if the capital becomes very small, with only a few dozen residents (like the President's family), those few people would have too much power over the three electoral votes. This could unfairly influence presidential elections. While the D.C. Admission Act tries to address this, some experts believe the 23rd Amendment might still give the small capital three electoral votes. Changing the 23rd Amendment would require approval from three-quarters of all states, which is very difficult.

Other Ideas Instead of Statehood

Besides statehood, other ideas have been suggested to give D.C. more political power. These usually involve treating D.C. more like a state or giving its land back to Maryland.

Retrocession

"Retrocession" means giving D.C.'s land back to Maryland (or Virginia, for the land it originally gave). A small area around the Capitol and White House might remain a federal district. If D.C. returned to Maryland, its citizens would gain voting representation in Congress as Maryland residents. However, most D.C. residents do not support retrocession.

One idea was to treat D.C. residents as Maryland residents for congressional voting. This would mean Maryland's congressional delegation would include D.C.'s population. Some argue Congress could do this without changing the Constitution. Before 1801, D.C. citizens voted in Maryland or Virginia elections. However, this idea would not give D.C. control over its local affairs.

Voting Rights Reforms

Several bills have tried to give D.C. voting representation in Congress. A main question is whether Congress has the constitutional power to do this. Supporters say courts should decide this, not Congress. A problem with a simple law is that a future Congress could undo it. Also, many of these bills only address representation in the House of Representatives, not the Senate. No bill giving D.C. voting representation has passed both houses of Congress since 1978.

Who Supports and Opposes Statehood

Organizations and Groups

Many groups support D.C. statehood. These include religious groups like the American Jewish Committee and the Episcopal Church. Labor unions like the AFL–CIO and civil rights groups like the NAACP also support it. Universities, business leaders, and environmental groups like the Sierra Club are also in favor.

D.C. Political Parties

The D.C. Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party of the District of Columbia, and the D.C. Statehood Green Party all support statehood. The D.C. Republican Party says D.C. should either become a state or its residents should not pay federal income taxes.

Democrats

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking in support of D.C. statehood in 2020.

Democratic presidents and presidential candidates since Bill Clinton have supported D.C. statehood, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The national Democratic Party platform has also supported statehood since 2016. In Congress, Democrats have generally supported statehood bills.

Republicans

The national Republican Party opposes D.C. statehood. They believe it would require a constitutional amendment. Many Republicans in Congress see statehood efforts as an attempt by Democrats to gain more power in the Senate. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has called D.C. statehood "full bore socialism."

Public Opinion

  majority approve   plurality approve   majority disapprove

Polls show mixed results on how Americans feel about D.C. statehood. Some polls show a majority of people approve, while others show a majority disapprove.