Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

In the near future, I plan to introduce a resolution proclaiming that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania supports admitting Washington, D.C. into the Union as a state of the United States of America.
 

Since its establishment as the seat of the federal government in 1790, D.C.’s residents have been continuously denied their full set of rights as American citizens, despite bearing the same responsibilities as residents of surrounding states. Washington, D.C. residents pay federal taxes, contribute to our national economy, and serve in the military, but lack control over their own budget as well as true representation in the U.S. government. Currently, D.C. residents elect only one non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
 

Every year since 1991, a bill has been introduced in Congress aiming to achieve equal representation for the 700,000 citizens of Washington, D.C. The residents of the District of Columbia themselves have endorsed statehood for the District of Columbia and passed a District–wide referendum in 2016, which favored statehood by 86%. As of 2023, 27 states and territories have sponsored resolutions or formal letters in support of D.C. statehood.
 

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has called on the U.S. Congress to address the District of Columbia’s lack of political equality, and the Organization of American States has declared the disenfranchisement of the District of Columbia residents a violation of its charter agreement, to which the United States is a signatory.
 

Please join me in sponsoring this resolution to demonstrate the Commonwealth’s support for establishing Washington, D.C. as the 51st state.