Norton, Carper Announce D.C. Statehood Bill Being Placed on Senate Floor Calendar for First Time in History

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), the sponsors of the District of Columbia statehood bill, today announced that the Senate has begun the procedural process (Rule 14) to bypass committee consideration of the House-passed D.C. statehood bill (H.R. 51) and to place H.R. 51 directly on the Senate Calendar of Business, which makes the bill available for floor consideration. The bill will be placed on the calendar when the Senate returns to session after the August recess, marking the first time in history the D.C. statehood bill will be on the Senate calendar. While placement on the calendar does not guarantee floor consideration, Senate Democrats initiated this procedural process to demonstrate the importance of H.R. 51 to the Senate Democratic Caucus and the nation.

"After 219 years of Congress denying D.C. residents congressional voting rights and full local self-government, we are on the cusp of another historic first for D.C. statehood in a year of historic firsts for D.C. statehood," Norton said. "Today, thanks to Senator Carper's leadership, as well as to the work of D.C. residents and local and national advocacy groups, over 90 percent of Senate Democrats are cosponsoring the D.C. statehood bill, a record by a large margin. We will take every opportunity, including using the procedural tools of the Senate, to highlight to the American public the importance of D.C. statehood."

"We have seen historic support for D.C. Statehood this year and for good reason. Americans living in all 50 states recognize that this is a fight for fairness and equal representation for our fellow citizens," said Senator Carper. "Here in the Senate, we will use all the tools in our toolbox to keep the pressure on and continue this momentum. As always, I'm proud to be in this fight with my partner, Congresswoman Norton, and, together, we'll keep pushing for the vote that this bill deserves."

On June 26, 2020, the House passed H.R. 51 by a vote of 232-180, which was the first time in history a chamber of Congress has passed the D.C. statehood bill.

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