51 for 51 on Senate D.C. Statehood Bill Introduction: “We have a chance to win the most urgent civil rights fight of our lifetimes”
Washington, D.C. — Today, Sen. Tom Carper introduced S.B. 51, the Washington DC Admissions Act, the Senate companion bill to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s H.R. 51, which would make Washington, D.C. the 51st state when signed into law. To mark this historic occasion, 51 for 51 Campaign Director Stasha Rhodes issued the following statement:
“We thank Sen. Carper and the 38 other Senate co-sponsors for introducing the Washington DC Admissions Act Act, marking a critical milestone in the fight to make D.C. statehood a reality. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Majority Leader Schumer, long time advocates of statehood, have a chance to win the most urgent civil rights fight of our lifetimes: giving a vote in Congress to over 700,000 people who have been denied one. The people of D.C. have worked over 200 years for representation and we urge the Senate to act swiftly — D.C. deserves a vote during COVID relief negotiations, the impeachment trial, and every other fight to come. The only way to guarantee that democracy truly prevails is by passing this legislation with 51 votes in the Senate.”
Earlier this month, 51 for 51 joined D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in calling for Congress to pass D.C. statehood legislation in the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Several sitting senators, including Senators Gillibrand, Hickenlooper, Markey, Merkeley, and Warren, as well as President Biden and Vice President Harris, have already committed to circumventing the filibuster rule to pass D.C. statehood legislation with a simple majority.