Norton Expresses Disappointment Biden Did Not Mention D.C. Statehood in State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said she is disappointed that President Biden did not mention statehood for the District of Columbia in his State of the Union address last night. While the Biden administration has strongly endorsed D.C. statehood, Biden, as president, has never discussed D.C. statehood publicly himself. Norton has personally spoken to the White House about the importance of Biden speaking up for D.C. statehood, including in last night's State of the Union address.

"I am disappointed that President Biden did not mention D.C. statehood in his State of the Union address last night, despite his longtime support for D.C. statehood and his discussion last night of other voting rights bills," Norton said. "With House Republicans threatening to abolish the D.C. government if they are in the majority next Congress, it is more important than ever that the president forcefully push for enactment of the D.C. statehood bill this Congress. D.C. statehood is part of the fight for voting rights. The president had the attention of the nation during the State of the Union address, and he should have used it to advocate for statehood for the nearly 700,000 people who live in the nation's capital."

The Biden administration strongly endorsed Norton's D.C. statehood bill in a Statement of Administration Policy immediately prior to the House vote on the bill last year. In 2020 and 2021, the House passed the bill, which were the first and second times in history either chamber of Congress had passed the D.C. statehood bill. The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Tom Carper (D-DE), has a record 45 cosponsors. Today, 54 percent of Americans support statehood for the residents of our nation's capital.

D.C. has a larger population than two states, pays more federal taxes per capita than any state, and pays more federal taxes than 21 states.

Democratic and Republican presidents, including Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, and Carter, have used State of the Union addresses to advocate for congressional voting representation and local self-government for D.C.

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