Norton Presides at Historic Committee Hearing on D.C. Statehood

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today praised the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Members, and witnesses for an enlightening and empowering hearing on statehood for the District of Columbia. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, D.C. CFO Jeffrey DeWitt, Congressional Research Service Attorney Kenneth Thomas, and D.C. veteran Kerwin Miller answered the outstanding questions from Members with ease. Norton also thanked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) for their leadership in giving D.C. statehood priority.

"The testimony presented today from District officials and expert witnesses leaves no doubt that the Washington, D.C. Admission Act is constitutional and that the state would meet all of its financial, economic and other obligations," Norton said. "Thank you, in particular, to Chairman Cummings for his continued leadership to make whole the 700,000 Americans living in the District of Columbia. The next step is again historic – H.R. 51 will be marked up to move to the House floor."

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer released a statement congratulating Norton on this milestone, saying: "I'm pleased that the House Oversight and Reform Committee held this important hearing today on the importance of granting statehood to the District of Columbia. I am a strong supporter of DC statehood and Congresswoman Norton's legislation to admit the District as a state. It is completely unacceptable that over 700,000 American citizens do not have equal representation in Congress. Congresswoman Norton should have full voting rights in the House of Representatives and District residents are entitled to two U.S. Senators. This must be remedied now, and I am looking forward to bringing Congresswoman Norton's bill to the Floor. I join in thanking her for her steadfast advocacy on this issue and her commitment to ensuring equal representation for all residents of the District."

Norton's bill would make most of the present-day District of Columbia into the State of Washington, D.C., with the remaining territory designated as the nation's capital. Just nine months into the new Congress, Norton has built historic support for her D.C. statehood bill that virtually assures House passage. H.R. 51 has a record number of voting cosponsors (217); the Senate's D.C. statehood bill, sponsored by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), also has the most cosponsors ever (33); the House-passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, contained extensive findings supporting D.C. statehood, marking the first time in history either chamber of Congress has endorsed D.C. statehood; Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) strongly endorsed D.C. statehood upon introduction of H.R. 51; House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), a cosponsor of the statehood bill, endorsed D.C. statehood in a strong op-ed earlier this year; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled a sweeping proposal to combat voter disenfranchisement, including restoring the Voting Rights Act, establishing national, automatic voter registration laws, and supporting D.C. statehood; and H.R. 51 is endorsed by over 100 national advocacy groups.