The House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday which would give statehood to Washington, D.C., making it the 51st state in the U.S.
H.R. 51 passed the House 216-208. The bill would designate “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth” as the 51st state while still having a separate federal district.
Republicans have argued that the move is unconstitutional and that Democrats want D.C. statehood in order to add two Democratic senators in Congress as well as one Democratic representative in the House.
“The Democrats’ D.C. statehood scheme is about two things: consolidating power and enacting radical policies. The American people see right through this blatant power grab” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said before the vote.
