Editing 51st state (section)

===District of Columbia===
{{Main|District of Columbia statehood movement}} {{See also|District of Columbia retrocession}}
[[File:Washington, D.C. locator map.svg|thumb|Washington, D.C. in red between Virginia and Maryland]]
The [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]] is often mentioned as a candidate for statehood. In Federalist No. 43 of ''[[The Federalist Papers]]'', [[James Madison]] considered the implications of the definition of the "seat of government" found in the [[United States Constitution]]. Although he noted potential conflicts of interest, and the need for a "municipal legislature for local purposes",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa43.htm |title=The Federalist No. 43 |publisher=Constitution.org |date=October 18, 1998 |access-date=March 29, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502012304/http://constitution.org/fed/federa43.htm |archive-date=May 2, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Madison did not address the district's role in national voting. Legal scholars disagree on whether a simple act of Congress can admit the District as a state, due to its status as the seat of government of the United States, which Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution requires to be under the exclusive jurisdiction of Congress; depending on the interpretation of this text, admission of the full District as a state may require a Constitutional amendment, which is much more difficult to enact.<ref>{{unfit|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110413235705/http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/dc-statehood-not-without-a-constitutional-amendment D.C. Statehood: Not Without a Constitutional Amendment]}}, August 27, 1993, The Heritage Foundation.</ref> 
[[File:Washington, D.C. license plate, 2017.png|thumb|right|A 2017 license plate for [[Washington, D.C.]]]]
[[File:Flag of the District of Columbia.svg|thumb|Flag of Washington, D.C.]]
The District of Columbia residents who support the statehood movement sometimes use the slogan "Taxation without representation" to denote their lack of Congressional representation. The phrase is a shortened version of the Revolutionary War protest motto "[[no taxation without representation]]" omitting the initial "No", and is printed on newly issued [[Vehicle registration plates of Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia license plates]] (although a driver may choose to have the District of Columbia website address instead). President [[Bill Clinton]]'s [[Presidential state car (United States)|presidential limousine]] had the "Taxation without representation" license plate late in his term, while President [[George W. Bush]] had the vehicle's plates changed shortly after beginning his term in office.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=James |first=Randy |url=http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1881791,00.html |title=A Brief History of Washington D.C |magazine=Time |date=February 26, 2009 |access-date=March 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329060528/http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1881791,00.html |archive-date=March 29, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> President [[Barack Obama]] had the license plates changed back to the protest style shortly before his second-term inauguration.<ref name="Craig">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/obama-to-use-dc-taxation-without-representation-license-plates/2013/01/15/f91b09ac-5f5b-11e2-9940-6fc488f3fecd_story.html|title=Obama to use D.C. 'taxation without representation' license plates|last=Craig|first=Tim|date=January 15, 2013|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=January 16, 2013}}</ref> President [[Donald Trump]] eventually removed the license plate and signaled opposition to D.C. statehood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2019/12/28/white-house-removes-dcs-protest-license-plates-from-trumps-limo/|title=White House removes DC's protest license plates from Trump's limo|first=Jon|last=Levine|date=December 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/d-c-statehood-vote-make-history-house-s-about-all-n1232099|title=D.C. statehood vote to make history in the House – and that's about all|date=June 25, 2020 |publisher=NBC News}}</ref>

This position was carried by the D.C. Statehood Party, a political party; it has since merged with the local [[Green Party of the United States|Green Party]] affiliate to form the [[D.C. Statehood Green Party]]. The nearest this movement ever came to success was in 1978, when Congress passed the [[District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment]]. Two years later in 1980, local citizens passed an [[Popular initiative|initiative]] written and filed by [[J. Edward Guinan]] calling for a [[constitutional convention (political meeting)|constitutional convention]] for a new state.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital|last=Chris Myers Asch |first=Derek Musgrove|publisher=UNC Press Books|year=2017|location=Chapel Hill NC|pages=417|isbn=9781469635873 |quote=|via=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C2Y6DwAAQBAJ&q=chocolate+city+guinan&pg=PA417}}</ref> In 1982, voters ratified the constitution of the state, which was to be called [[District of Columbia statehood movement|New Columbia]]. The drive for statehood stalled in 1985, however, when the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment failed because not enough states [[ratification|ratified]] the amendment within the allowed seven-year span.

Another proposed option would be to have [[Maryland]], from which the D.C. land was ceded, [[District of Columbia retrocession|retake the District of Columbia]], as [[Virginia]] has already done for its [[Arlington County, Virginia|part]], while leaving the [[National Mall]], the [[United States Capitol]], the [[United States Supreme Court]], and the [[White House]] in a truncated District of Columbia.<ref name=richards>{{cite journal|last=Richards |first=Mark David |date=Spring–Summer 2004 |title=The Debates over the Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1801–2004 |journal=Washington History |publisher=Historical Society of Washington, D.C. |url=http://www.dcvote.org/pdfs/mdrretro062004.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118053203/http://www.dcvote.org/pdfs/mdrretro062004.pdf |archive-date=January 18, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref> This would give residents of the District of Columbia the benefit of statehood while precluding the creation of a 51st state, but would require the consent of the [[Government of Maryland]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Delgadillo|first1=Natalie|last2=Kurzius|first2=Rachel|last3=Sadon|first3=Rachel|date=September 18, 2019|title=The Past, Present, And (Potential) Future Of D.C. Statehood, Explained|url=https://dcist.com/story/19/09/18/the-past-present-and-potential-future-of-d-c-statehood-explained/|access-date=June 26, 2020|website=DCist|language=en|archive-date=June 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626171817/https://dcist.com/story/19/09/18/the-past-present-and-potential-future-of-d-c-statehood-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====2016 statehood referendum====
{{main|2016 Washington, D.C., statehood referendum}}
{{Infobox multichoice referendum
| name = District of Columbia statehood referendum, 2016
| location = [[District of Columbia]]
| date = {{start date and age|2016|11|08}}
| width = 300px
| barwidth = 100px
| voting_system = [[majority|Simple majority]]
| part1_subject = Shall the voters of the District of Columbia advise the Council to approve or reject this proposal?
| part1_choice1 = Yes
| part1_choice1_color = green
| part1_percentage1 = 85.83
| part1_choice2 = No
| part1_choice2_color = red
| part1_percentage2 = 14.17
| results2_caption = There were 515,348 blank and invalidated ballots counted alongside the 1,363,854 ballots which indicated a choice for one of the non-territorial alternatives. Under Puerto Rico Law, these ballots are not considered cast votes and are therefore not reflected in the final tally.
}}
On April 15, 2016, District Mayor [[Muriel Bowser]] called for a citywide vote on whether the nation's capital should become the 51st state.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Austermuhle |first1=Martin |title=Mayor Wants Statehood Vote This Year By D.C. Residents |url=https://wamu.org/news/16/04/15/mayor_bowser_wants_vote_on_statehood_for_dc |publisher=WAMU 88.5 |access-date=15 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418224452/http://wamu.org/news/16/04/15/mayor_bowser_wants_vote_on_statehood_for_dc |archive-date=April 18, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> This was followed by the release of a proposed State Constitution.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Giambrone |first1=Andrew |title=D.C. Statehood Commission Will Release Draft Constitution Next Friday |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/blog/13070800/d-c-statehood-commission-will-release-draft-constitution-next-friday |newspaper=Washington City Paper |access-date=15 May 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529070818/http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/blog/13070800/d-c-statehood-commission-will-release-draft-constitution-next-friday |archive-date=May 29, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> This Constitution would make the [[Mayor of the District of Columbia]] the Governor of the proposed state, while the members of the District Council would make up the proposed House of Delegates.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kinney |first1=Jen |title=Welcome, New Columbia? D.C. Drafts 51st State Constitution |url=https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/welcome-new-columbia-dc-mayor-releases-draft-constitution-dc-51st-state |publisher=Next City |access-date=15 May 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510110213/https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/welcome-new-columbia-dc-mayor-releases-draft-constitution-dc-51st-state |archive-date=May 10, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

On November 8, 2016, the voters of the District of Columbia voted overwhelmingly in favor of statehood, with 86% of voters voting to advise approving the proposal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/DC-Election-Statehood-Council-Seats-400275901.html |title=DC Voters Elect Gray to Council, Approve Statehood Measure |date=November 8, 2016 |publisher=4 NBC Washington |access-date=November 9, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109221442/http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/DC-Election-Statehood-Council-Seats-400275901.html |archive-date=November 9, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

While the name "New Columbia" has long been associated with the movement, the [[Council of the District of Columbia|City Council]] and community members chose the proposed state name to be the State of Columbia, or the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. The [[Maryland]] [[abolitionist]] [[Frederick Douglass]] was a D.C. resident and was chosen to be the proposed state's namesake alongside [[George Washington]] of [[Virginia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dcist.com/story/16/10/18/following-a-series-of/|title=Council Tosses 'New Columbia,' Changes Constitution To 'The State Of Washington D.C.'|access-date=July 3, 2020|archive-date=June 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629141413/https://dcist.com/story/16/10/18/following-a-series-of/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Federal enclave====

To fulfill Constitutional requirements of having a Federal District and to provide the benefits of statehood to the 700,000-plus residents of D.C., in the proposed State of Washington, D.C., boundaries would be delineated between the State of Washington, D.C., and a much smaller federal seat of government. This would ensure federal control of federal buildings. The National Mall, the White House, the national memorials, Cabinet buildings, judicial buildings, legislative buildings, and other government-related buildings, etc. would be housed within the much smaller federal seat of government. All residences in the State of Washington, D.C. would reside outside the seat of federal government, except for the White House. The proposed boundaries are based on precedents created through the 1902 [[McMillan Plan]] with a few modifications. The rest of the boundaries would remain the same.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 13, 2016 |title=TESTIMONY OF ERIC SHAW DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF PLANNING BEFORE THE NEW COLUMBIA STATEHOOD COMMISSION |url=https://statehood.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/statehood/publication/attachments/Eric-Shaw-Boundary-Testimony-for-NCSC.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 18, 2016 |title=A RESOLUTION 21-621 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |url=https://statehood.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/statehood/publication/attachments/Constitution-of-the-State-of-Washington-DC.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2016 |title=Map-of-the-State-of-Washington-DC.pdf |url=https://statehood.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/statehood/publication/attachments/Map-of-the-State-of-Washington-DC.pdf}}</ref>

====Admission legislation====
On June 26, 2020, the [[United States House of Representatives]] voted 232–180 in favor of [[statehood]] for Washington, D.C.

Passage of [[DC Admission Act|this legislation]] in the Senate was unlikely while the Republican Party held a Senate majority, and President [[Donald Trump]] also promised to veto D.C. statehood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/politics/dc-statehood-vote-house/index.html|title=House Democrats pass DC statehood bill Friday|author=Haley Byrd|publisher=CNN|date=June 26, 2020 }}</ref> The legislation was H.R. 51<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/51/text|title=H.R. 51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act|publisher=116th Congress|date=June 26, 2020|access-date=July 1, 2020}}</ref> in honor of D.C. potentially becoming the 51st state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-set-vote-dc-statehood-create-washington-douglass/story?id=71461781|title=House votes to grant statehood to District of Columbia|website=ABC News}}</ref> However, after the [[2020 United States Senate elections|2020 Senate elections]], the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] had a Senate majority, meaning [[Joe Biden]]'s presidency might have opened the door for D.C. statehood.<ref>{{Cite web|title=With Democrats In Charge, Is DC Destined For Statehood?|url=https://wamu.org/story/21/01/07/dc-statehood-democrats-in-charge/|access-date=2021-01-09|publisher=WAMU|language=en}}</ref>

The vote was the first time D.C. ever had a vote for statehood pass any chamber of Congress: in 1993, D.C. statehood legislation was rejected in a US House floor vote by 153–277. Another problem is that because Maryland released the land to become D.C., it may have a claim on any land released by Congress to become a state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/25/the-politics-and-history-of-the-d-c-statehood-vote/|title=The politics and history of the D.C. statehood vote|first=John|last=Hudak|date=June 25, 2020}}</ref>

On April 22, 2021, the United States House of Representatives voted 216–208 in favor of statehood for Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dc-statehood-bill-house-vote-51st/|title=House approves bill that would admit Washington, D.C., as 51st state|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=2021-04-22|access-date=2021-04-22}}</ref> A similar bill, S. 51, "A bill to provide for the admission of the State of Washington, D.C. into the Union" was earlier introduced into the United States Senate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/51|title=S.51 – 117th Congress (2021–2022): A bill to provide for the admission of the State of Washington, D.C. into the Union.|first=Thomas R.|last=Carper|date=January 26, 2021|website=Congress.gov|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127224011/https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/51|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.localdvm.com/news/washington-dc/d-c-statehood-bill-reintroduced-in-congress/ |title=D.C. statehood bill reintroduced in Congress |last=Burnett |first=Rebecca |date=January 27, 2021 |publisher=WDVM |archive-date=February 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203144100/https://www.localdvm.com/news/washington-dc/d-c-statehood-bill-reintroduced-in-congress/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On April 30, Democratic senator [[Joe Manchin]] came out against both bills, effectively dooming their passage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/manchin-opposes-d-c-statehood-dealing-blow-democratic-priority-n1266039|title = Manchin opposes D.C. Statehood, dealing a blow to Democratic priority| publisher=NBC News|date=April 30, 2021|access-date=December 18, 2022|last1=Kapur|first1=Sahil|last2=Clark|first2=Dartunorro}}</ref> (See [[117th United States Congress]]) Senator Manchin said the way to make D.C. a State was by a constitutional amendment, which was the process for the voting rights with the 23 Amendment. He went further stated that the complications created by shrinking the Federal District to the National Mall with the 23rd Amendment should be addressed.<ref name="newsweek.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.newsweek.com/joe-manchin-says-dc-statehood-requires-amendment-while-his-state-took-another-path-1588008 | title=Joe Manchin Says D.C. Statehood Requires Amendment, but His State Did Not | website=[[Newsweek]] | date=April 30, 2021 }}</ref> While others disagreed, he thought that if had been approved it would end up in the Supreme Court.<ref name="newsweek.com"/>