Expand democracy: DC statehood

Expand Democracy - Washington, DC has been fighting for full political equality for more than two centuries, and as of late 2025, the basic facts haven’t changed. More than 700,000 residents pay federal taxes, serve on juries, and fight in wars, but still lack voting representation in Congress and full control over their own local laws.

In early 2025, the latest iteration of the Washington, DC Admission Act was introduced in both chambers. With 204 cosponsors, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton reintroduced H.R. 51 on January 3, 2025, proposing to admit most of the District as the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth while preserving a small federal enclave for constitutional purposes. Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced the companion bill S. 51, with 40 cosponsors on January 9, 2025. Both bills mirrored the structure used in prior Congresses: statehood for residential DC, protection of the federal district, and immediate conferral of full congressional representation.

But as this legislative session progressed, neither chamber took further action. The bills did not receive markup, did not advance out of committee, and were never scheduled for floor consideration. Bill-tracking services now classify them as “dead,” reflecting the practical reality that they will not move forward this Congress absent extraordinary procedural action. With Republicans controlling the House and with no path to 60 votes in the Senate, statehood supporters face the same structural barriers that have impeded recent attempts.

Outside Congress, several advocacy networks remain active. DC Vote has long fought for equality for the people of DC. The ACLU-DC’s D.C. Statehood Now coalition continues its public education and legal advocacy efforts. Grassroots groups such as Stand Up! for Democracy in DC (Free DC) maintain community organizing campaigns, while national organizations, including the Campaign Legal Center, publish statements, host events, and press Congress to restore full home rule and admit the District as a state. Yet despite these efforts, none have shifted the federal political calculus in this Congress.

At the same time, recent federal interventions in governance have highlighted the limits of DC’s autonomy. Under the Home Rule Act, Congress retains the authority to override local laws, and the President may assume direct control of certain District functions. In 2025, this authority was exercised when the administration temporarily placed the Metropolitan Police Department under federal supervision, a reminder, widely reported at the time, of how quickly local control can be curtailed. Right now, both chambers are advancing bills and budget riders to micromanage the District’s affairs, including one bill on public safety that passed the House. These developments underscore how profoundly DC’s lack of statehood continues to shape the everyday governance of the nation’s capital.

Our nation has regularly added states from the original 13 in 1787, but only two states (Alaska and Hawaii) in the past 112 years. Here’s hoping future Congresses embrace expanding democracy, act on DC statehood, and consider other possible new states like Puerto Rico.