A Historic Majority of Members in the House of Representatives Support D.C. Statehood
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 19, 2019
CONTACT:
press@51for51.org
A Historic Majority of Members in the House of Representatives Support D.C. Statehood
218 Representatives have officially co-sponsored HR 51
Washington, D.C. — In a historic moment, the fight for D.C. statehood has secured support from a majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) helped push the issue over the threshold today, by co-sponsoring Congresswoman Holmes Norton’s HR 5.1.
51 for 51, the national D.C. statehood coalition that’s raising awareness about the District’s lack of equal representation in Congress released the following statement:
“Today, we celebrate the milestone reached and take pride in knowing we are nearly guaranteed to pass D.C. statehood in the House of Representatives in this Congress. This is a joyous day for the people of our nation’s capital who have been disenfranchised for far too long. This is not a partisan issue, but rather a matter of upholding the core of our democracy. We expect the Senate to do their jobs when this bill reaches their chamber and act in favor of Americans living in the District,” said Campaign Manager Stasha Rhodes.
51 for 51 has been endorsed by 13 presidential candidates, including former candidates Rep. Eric Swalwell and Gov. John Hickenlooper:
- Secretary Julián Castro
- Senator Elizabeth Warren
- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
- Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Rep. Tim Ryan
- Gov. Steve Bullock
- Rep. John Delaney
- Gov. Jay Inslee
- Andrew Yang
- Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Marianne Williamson
Within the past month, 10 new partners have joined the coalition, including five national gun violence prevention groups — Brady, Newtown Action Alliance, Guns Down America, Survivors Empowered and March For Our Lives DC — and partners from state advocacy groups such as Blue Rising, Progress Now Colorado, Platform, Granite State Progress and Progress North Carolina.
For the first time in 26 years, the House of Representatives will hold a hearing on statehood on Sept. 19th, led by Rep. Elijah Cummings. House Majority Leader Hoyer announced his support for statehood for the district at the end of May.
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51 for 51 is a coalition comprised of D.C.-based and national groups committed to equal representation rights for D.C.’s over 700,000 residents. The coalition of 20 progressive groups says American citizens living in the District deserve a voice in Congress and control over their own local laws.
Additional Information
Website: https://www.51for51.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/51for51