The 700,000+ residents of Washington, D.C. — a city whose population is larger than that of Vermont or Wyoming and nearly half Black and Brown — have no voting representation in Congress. They pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and are governed by federal laws passed without their consent.

The Washington D.C. Admission Act would make D.C. the 51st state, giving its residents two senators and a voting House representative for the first time. The bill passed the House in 2020 and 2021.

McConnell refused to allow a Senate vote. He argued statehood was about "full-bore socialism" and that D.C. shouldn't be a state because it "doesn't have a landfill."

How It Harmed Americans:

American citizens living in the nation's capital have no meaningful say in the federal government that governs them — a violation of the democratic principle of "no taxation without representation" the country was founded on. During the COVID-19 pandemic, D.C. received roughly $755 million less in relief funds than it would have as a state. During the January 6th insurrection, the D.C. National Guard was not under the mayor's direct control, unlike in every state, delaying the response.

Reference List:

• H.R. 51, Washington D.C. Admission Act, 116th and 117th Congress

• U.S. Census Bureau, population estimates for Washington, D.C.

• "Taxation Without Representation: The Case for D.C. Statehood" — D.C. Vote

• Government Accountability Office reports on D.C. budget and COVID-19 relief disparities