(Washington, DC) – Mayor Muriel Bowser today released the following statement on Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s DC statehood bill passing supermajority cosponsorship by House Democrats:
“In addition to thanking Congresswoman Norton for being our steadfast champion on the Hill, we also thank Representatives Joe Kennedy III (D-MA), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) for signing on to give the residents of the District of Columbia full access to our country’s democracy. It is fitting that we reached this milestone on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Douglass, a staunch advocate for DC voting rights who, more than 100 years ago, reminded Americans that ‘The District of Columbia is the one spot where there is no government for the people, of the people and by the people.’ More than a century later, it is well past time for our country to right this injustice.”
Mayor Bowser sent letters to members of Congress in December 2017 in support of Congresswoman Norton’s DC statehood bill, and in 2018, the momentum for statehood is already at an all-time high. In the past three months, six new co-sponsors have joined H.R. 1291 the Washington, DC Admission Act.
In 2016, Mayor Bowser and the New Columbia Statehood Commission, co-chaired with DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and the DC Shadow Delegation (Senator Paul Strauss, Senator Michael Brown, Representative Franklin Garcia), launched a bold pathway forward for statehood utilizing the Tennessee Plan for statehood. In November 2016, nearly 80 percent of District voters approved a referendum to make Washington, DC the 51st state in our nation. This included the ratification of a new constitution that was drafted through a historic constitutional convention. Since the referendum, the New Columbia Statehood Commission has launched a 10-state strategy that will help to educate more people about the need for statehood and secure support from across the country. In Washington, DC, the commission has amplified outreach and communication, including the upcoming launch of kiosks at high-traffic locations to educate tourists and business travelers from around the globe about Washington, DC’s lack of full democracy. The Office of the Secretary has also launched the FY2018 Democracy Grants. The deadline to apply for DC Democracy Grant is noon on Friday, February 23; more information and applications can be found HERE.
In the coming weeks, the Bowser Administration will also hire a new Statehood Program Manager and launch a new statehood office.