The District of Columbia wants to become the 51st state again: what will it change and why there is so much debate about it

House and Senate Democrats on Wednesday, January 27, introduced a bill that would make Washington, DC the 51st state. The edition told in more detail NBC News.

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The bill was filed by Eleanor Holmes-Norton, a Democrat representing the District of Columbia, and in the Senate by Senator Tom Carper, a Delaware Democrat. Norton said she has more than 200 supporting votes in the House.

“There has never been a time when statehood has been more likely for the county,” Norton said, adding that the bill passed the House for the first time last year and now has a “record” 202 co-sponsors. A companion bill is also gaining support in the Senate: “We are committed to providing voting representation and full local government to D.C.'s 712 residents,” she said.

On the subject: 14 fabulous places in Washington DC

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer have pledged to put the bill to a vote. She noted that with Democrats in the House and Senate majority and backed by President Joe Biden, "the time has come so that we can finally correct this historic injustice and give DC residents the same rights as other American taxpayers." ...

While the bill could be approved again in the House of Representatives, which remains under Democratic control, its chances of passage in the Senate are rather slim. Democrats need to overcome the 60-vote obstruction to pass the law, which means they will need at least 10 Republican votes. Many GOP legislators have opposed the creation of the state from the District of Columbia because its representation in Congress will almost certainly be democratic.

Currently, the District of Columbia is not represented in Congress in any way, which essentially deprives it of the right to influence the country's politics. The only thing the district can do is take part in the presidential elections. The district has as many electors as it would if it were a state, but no more than the least populous state (Wyoming) has 3 electors.

However, Carper said that granting state status to the District of Columbia is not "a matter of Republicans or Democrats."

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“This is an American problem because the lack of fair representation provided to D.C. residents is inconsistent with the values ​​on which this country was founded,” he said. “Therefore, all of us who enjoy the right and privilege of full suffrage and representation have a responsibility to stand up for our fellow citizens in the District of Columbia.”

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser supported the move.

“Generations of Washingtonians have been denied the right to participate in our democracy. We need to make their voices heard,” she wrote on Twitter.

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