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Norton Announces New Date for House Hearing on D.C. Statehood Bill

March 5, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that, due to a change in the House calendar, the Committee on Oversight and Reform (COR) hearing on her District of Columbia statehood bill (H.R. 51) has been rescheduled from March 11, 2021, to March 22, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. Norton thanked COR Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) for her leadership on D.C. statehood and for prioritizing the bill early in this Congress.

"With Democrats in control of the White House, the House and the Senate, we have never been closer to D.C. statehood," Norton said. "This hearing will inform the many Americans who still do not know that the 712,000 D.C. residents pay full federal taxes but have no voting representation in Congress, and that Congress has the final say on all local D.C. matters. Following House passage of the bill in June, some national polls have found that support for D.C. statehood has increased to around 50%. It is long past time for Congress to act."

Last Congress, the House passed the D.C. statehood bill, which was the first time in history a chamber had passed the bill. Norton reintroduced the bill in January with a record 202 original cosponsors. The bill now has 212 cosponsors and is almost guaranteed to pass the House again. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) have announced they will bring the bill to the floor again. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) reintroduced the bill (S. 51) in January with a record 38 original cosponsors. The bill now has 40 cosponsors, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

The bill would admit the State of Washington, D.C. from most of present-day D.C. Congress would retain plenary authority over the reduced federal district.