(FixThisNation.com) – GOP Rep. Andy Ogles (Tennessee) introduced an amendment that would block D.C.’s statehood.
On Tuesday, Ogles proposed an amendment to the federal budget. The amendment would stop federal funds from being used to make Washington, D.C. a state. The amendment prohibits funds from being allocated to the New Columbia Statehood Commission, responsible for coordinating the district’s statehood efforts. It would also prevent funds from being used to conduct an election for a District of Columbia senator.
Ogles’ proposal sparked a wave of criticism from D.C. representatives. Rep. Oye Owolewa described the amendment as “another attempt to silence D.C.” and the district’s “pursuit of equality and fairness.”
Owolewa, a D.C. shadow representative since 2021, suggested statehood was critical in guaranteeing D.C. residents’ voices are heard.
Since D.C. became a jurisdiction of Congress in 1790, when it became the nation’s capital, D.C. voters have only been able to elect two shadow representatives and one shadow senator.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), a delegate in the U.S. House since 1991, has more functional authority, which allows her to introduce legislation and participate in committee votes.
However, that’s where her authority ends, as she cannot vote on full House bills.
In 2021, Norton announced the passage of her D.C. statehood bill (H.R. 51) in the House. The bill received 216 cosponsors, a historic figure, and the second time a chamber of Congress approved a D.C. statehood bill since it had done the same in June 2020.
Those in support of D.C. becoming the 51st state highlight that the district functions much like a state, while it performs county and city duties. D.C. manages its Medicaid programs and school system; residents vote, pay taxes, and serve on juries. The district is also awarded federal block grants typically granted to states.
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