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Norton Says Senate Hearing Made the Case for D.C. Statehood

June 22, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said today's Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing made a strong case for the D.C. statehood bill. Norton delivered opening remarks at the hearing.

"Today's hearing, just the second Senate hearing on the D.C. statehood bill in history, made the definitive case for the bill," Norton said. "Despite many questions from Republican senators seeking to challenge the constitutionality of the bill and D.C.'s own ‘readiness' for statehood, the testimony presented from Mayor Bowser and expert witnesses leaves no doubt that the Washington, D.C. Admission Act is constitutional and that the state would meet all of the financial, economic and other obligations of states.

"I appreciate the vigorous defense of the bill given by the speakers and witnesses, especially Senator Lieberman and Mayor Bowser. Fifty-four percent of Americans now support statehood for the residents of our nation's capital, and I predict that public support will continue to grow after today's hearing, as it did after the House hearing, markup and passage.

"In addition to educating the public, today's hearing shows that support for the D.C. statehood bill is growing in the Senate. The Senate's statehood bill, sponsored by Senator Carper, has 45 cosponsors, the greatest number of Senate cosponsors of the bill in the nation's history.

"Today's hearing in itself showed historic progress toward D.C. statehood. With more Senate cosponsors than ever before, today's hearing marked a major step toward finally achieving voting representation in Congress and full local self-government for residents of our nation's capital."