House Democrats are poised to approve Washington, D.C., becoming the nation's 51st state in a historic vote scheduled for Friday.
Washington the 'District of Columbia' would be no longer, the bill's language says, as the new state would be referred to as 'Washington, Douglass Commonwealth' - swapping out Italian explorer Christopher Columbus for Maryland-born abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
'And what an appropriate name: George Washington and Frederick Douglass, joined together in support of citizenship, what an appropriate name it seems to me for the capital of America,' remarked Rep. Steny Hoyer, the House's No. 2 Democrat who represents nearby Maryland. 'To honor two of its citizens: one white, one black, both committed to the union and committed to citizenship.'
'Frederick Douglas was one of the great spokespersons for "Black Lives Matter,"' Hoyer added.
Douglas was also chosen because he was a Marylander, as Washington was a Virginian. Those two states originally gave up the land to create the District, though Virginia took its portion back.
Hoyer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the city's non-voting member of Congress and Mayor Muriel Bowers, among others, gathered on Capitol Hill Thursday to preview the vote.
The bill is expected to pass the majority-Democrat House, though go nowhere in the Republican-led Senate this cycle.
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The Founding Fathers set up the District of Columbia as the seat of the federal government, not to be part of any state. They intended the District to be a separate entity. This is another ploy by "the emenies within" to demean and degrade our Constitutional Republic. They will use anything and anyone to further obscene quest for power and to instill their dream the USSA.
The process toward "Statehood" begins locally, not in Congress. A majority of DC voters must first approve a referendum on "statehood." Assuming success, the matter would then proceed to the House for a vote. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm finding no record of such an election occuring in Washington DC. So, even if approved, a preemptive House vote would amount to nothing more than a toothless nonbinding "resolution."
I was born in Washington DC in 1947.
I say leave it alone, and clean it up.
Only natives should vote on this
Christoph: You nailed it. See my comment (above?).
I thought the black populace didn't want anything to do with George Washington because he was a slave holder. This band of idiots can't seem to get their act together. They'll name it and then want to change the name. Where does this idiocy end? Time for President Trump to arrest and prosecute these traitors.
I am sure it will go nowhere in the Senate and definately nowhere with Trump
This nation is doomed if DC becomes a state. Therein lies the bastion of socialist advocators. It would also add two possible commies to the senate.
On the other hand, we taxpayers would no longer be responsible for funding DC operations
Because Democrats are the enemy within.
Yes, the Left is the enemy within.
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