Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. Passed along party lines by a vote of 216-208, Cole opposed the legislation related to granting statehood to the District of Columbia.
“At its core, H.R. 51 has nothing to do with ensuring proper representation for the residents of the District of Columbia and everything to do with Democrats hoping to seize more favorable power in Congress,” said Cole. “But more alarming, the action outlined by the legislation is unconstitutional and would undermine the 23rd Amendment, which describes a District – not beholden to any state – to serve as the seat of our nation’s government.
“While it is certainly important for all Americans to feel fully represented in their national government, there are other solutions for the District of Columbia’s residents that are both fair and, more importantly, actually constitutional. For example, in 1846, Congress reinstated Virginia’s control of Arlington and Alexandria to provide representation to citizens living in those areas. The same could be done now if areas of D.C. were to become part of the nearby state of Maryland. However, that sort of constitutional solution wouldn’t deliver the intended power grab Democrats are hoping to achieve in their push to make D.C. the 51st state.”
