DC statehood Megathread (pg 33 - Manchin questioning constitutionality)

[Roronoa D. Law]

I would have preferred just making DC part of Maryland, but I certainly would have voted for this bill, as denying the residents of DC representation is shameful (especially when they have to pay federal taxes).

The Republican opposition to this bill is yet another example of putting partisanship ahead of democracy.

Wait why would you like DC to be a part of Maryland? DC has been separated from Maryland for over 200 years.

[GeneralMacArthur]

I would have preferred just making DC part of Maryland, but I certainly would have voted for this bill, as denying the residents of DC representation is shameful (especially when they have to pay federal taxes).

The Republican opposition to this bill is yet another example of putting partisanship ahead of democracy.

Wait why would you like DC to be a part of Maryland? DC has been separated from Maryland for over 200 years.

DC is the capitol of this nation and should not be subjected to the whims of Maryland state government.  Why should Maryland get this enormous responsibility/privilege over the other 49 states, just because it's the state where the capitol is located?  The capitol is for the entire nation, not Maryland.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

MD already permanently gave it's rights up on DC anyways.

Murkowski said she would introduce an Amendment on giving Norton pernament voting power that is a compromise, it's not unconstitutional if you add an Amendment

I would go for that, if it can get 67 votes, just like I was for term limits, but Ds, not Rs blocked it, which was a scam, that's why they lost seats in every Election after 1994 in the H, voters wanted term limits and it requires an Amendment

[AGA]

What moron decided to call it "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth"?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

As I said before, why did D's vote against term limits, the Amendment giving DC a Rep should pass unanimously

[S019]

Unless the filibuster gets removed or modified, DC Statehood is unfortunately not going to pass the Senate.

Also, Manchin is non-committal/undecided on DC Statehood. Sinema has been silent on this as well.

There's a case that DC statehood doesn't require filibuster

What’s the case?

I want it to happen, I just don’t see it.

The Democrats can override the filibuster on grounds that admitting states to the union is not an act of legislation. That way they can get DC statehood with 51 voters while keeping the fillibuster to appease people Sinema and Manchin.

The problem is that that would likely require overriding the parliamentarian. Manchin has been mixed enough I think he wouldn't be the deciding vote against, but that other one?

I think it'd be a similar procedure to when they invoked the nuclear option for judicial nominees, eliminating it for statehood bills, but leaving it in place for other legislation.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

What moron decided to call it "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth"?

I dunno.
The convention would be to call it Columbia.

[Not Me, Us]

What moron decided to call it "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth"?

I dunno.
The convention would be to call it Columbi

Columbus is a hugely controversial figure, who is especially unpopular among the very liberal population of DC, so it makes sense they wouldn't want to call it that. Plus, calling it Douglass Commonwealth lets them keep the DC abbreviation. I just don't understand why it couldn't just be called Douglass Commonwealth, rather than the very stupid Washington, Douglass Commonwealth.

[Roronoa D. Law]

Unless the filibuster gets removed or modified, DC Statehood is unfortunately not going to pass the Senate.

Also, Manchin is non-committal/undecided on DC Statehood. Sinema has been silent on this as well.

There's a case that DC statehood doesn't require filibuster

What’s the case?

I want it to happen, I just don’t see it.

The Democrats can override the filibuster on grounds that admitting states to the union is not an act of legislation. That way they can get DC statehood with 51 voters while keeping the fillibuster to appease people Sinema and Manchin.

The problem is that that would likely require overriding the parliamentarian. Manchin has been mixed enough I think he wouldn't be the deciding vote against, but that other one?

I think it'd be a similar procedure to when they invoked the nuclear option for judicial nominees, eliminating it for statehood bills, but leaving it in place for other legislation.

Presidential appointments are addressed in Article II, Section 2 while admission of new states is addressed in Article VI, Section 3. So in theory B can exist if A exists since both powers are outlined outside of Article I which defines Congress legislative powers.

[Agonized-Statism]

What moron decided to call it "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth"?

I dunno.
The convention would be to call it Columbia.

Wouldn't the shorthand be Douglass? City of Washington, state/commonwealth of Douglass.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

What happens when this is denied again when the Fillibuster, the Constitution can be changed with Amendments and what Ds fall short of a Supermajority in Senate or lose the H next term

I just read Unions are behind pushing all these bills to get rid of Legislative Filibuster just like they did with Obamacare

That's why Murkowski option should be supportive of D's unless they have the votes now to pass it, Make Norton a pernament vote

As I said before, D's lost every Election after 1994 since they didn't get behind term limits and that was the reason why Rs held onto 12 and 8 ye terms in H

[Badger]

My God, can Republicans and conservatives just STFU about this whole well, give it to Maryland or Virginia BS? No reason it should happen, no reason it will happen.

Taxation without representation is a fundamentally wrong and poisonous notion our country was founded on fighting against. If it is likely to be and easy Democratic pick up a very Senate seats in a congressional seat because your party for the last half-century plus hasn't been able to do jack schitt in terms of picking up more than the thinnest sliver of the African-American vote, that is 100% on you and a $hit reason continue denying DC residents congressional representation.

Of the closest thing to a good faith argument any opponent has ever even half-heartedly tried raising is the claim that somehow an independent state of Douglas some point in the future might theoretically try to use its local government to pressure or intimidate Congress. Because if there's one thing the Republican party in 2021 stands Foursquare against is unlawfully threatening or pressuring Congress, amirite?

There are so many ways this could readily be avoided short of continuing to deny DC statehood. How about including in the DC statehood bill that the emergency powers granted under the District of Columbia home rule Act would not be negated, thereby giving the executive branch control over the DC police for an emergency? How about carving out a narrow area of essential government buildings focused around the National Mall, Congress, the White House, and provide them their own infrastructure of police, water, garbage, Etc? Hell, as we already know, many of these buildings such  already have their own organized police forces like the Capitol Police. But there's never a single suggestion of that, or when confronted with such a suggestion that response is usually stammering and hurumphing.

Perhaps the most telling evidence that DC statehood opponents don't really give a sh**t about the supposed theoretical threat of local government pressure though, is the same people who raise this argument in one breath in the very next argue to Simply dissolve DC and give it to Maryland and / or Virginia! In short, the same opponents of DC statehood based on the theory of a non federally-controlled city of Washington, Douglass supposedly leaning on federal government have absolutely zero concern about that happening by the non federally-controlled controlled city of Washington, Maryland! Of COURSE it's all about keeping DC from electing its own senators and house representative! LOL!

We get it. Power is everything. You would disenfranchise not just 700,000 people but 7 million, 70 million, whatever it takes with gerrymandering, voter suppression bills, clinging to the undemocratic electoral college, abusing the hell out of filibuster, and anything else that subverts democracy to ensure your hold on minority rule power. All the while blabbering something Republic not a democracy something something. Which never made an lick of sense to begin with.

Beating up on DC statehood opponents is low-hanging fruit, I know, but I'm just so fed up with them, and because they are just so disingenuous and anti-democratic about any other issue under the sun, Republicans in General as well.

[7,052,770]

We've admitted 37 new states, but we've never told a territory looking to upgrade to statehood that they would just have to join an existing state if they want statehood.

It would be one thing to break that precedent if DC had 50,000 people in it or something, but when it's larger than 1 existing states, there's no non-partisan-hacky reason to expect DC to do something no one has ever had to do before.

I would respect Republicans a lot more if they would just admit their opposition to DC statehood is about the 2 senate seats and nothing more. They're not fooling anyone with the pathetic and racist nonsense they've put out there.

[Badger]

We've admitted 37 new states, but we've never told a territory looking to upgrade to statehood that they would just have to join an existing state if they want statehood.

It would be one thing to break that precedent if DC had 50,000 people in it or something, but when it's larger than 1 existing states, there's no non-partisan-hacky reason to expect DC to do something no one has ever had to do before.

I would respect Republicans a lot more if they would just admit their opposition to DC statehood is about the 2 senate seats and nothing more. They're not fooling anyone with the pathetic and racist nonsense they've put out there.

Two states actually. Wyoming and Vermont.

There's an off chance that by the end of next year it could overtake Alaska as well.

[brucejoel99]

What moron decided to call it "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth"?

I dunno.
The convention would be to call it Columbi

Columbus is a hugely controversial figure, who is especially unpopular among the very liberal population of DC, so it makes sense they wouldn't want to call it that. Plus, calling it Douglass Commonwealth lets them keep the DC abbreviation. I just don't understand why it couldn't just be called Douglass Commonwealth, rather than the very stupid Washington, Douglass Commonwealth.

Presumably to also let them keep using "Washington" for the presumable litany of purposes which they currently use it for that would perhaps be too administratively &/or logistically disruptive to change.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

We've admitted 37 new states, but we've never told a territory looking to upgrade to statehood that they would just have to join an existing state if they want statehood.

It would be one thing to break that precedent if DC had 50,000 people in it or something, but when it's larger than 1 existing states, there's no non-partisan-hacky reason to expect DC to do something no one has ever had to do before.

I would respect Republicans a lot more if they would just admit their opposition to DC statehood is about the 2 senate seats and nothing more. They're not fooling anyone with the pathetic and racist nonsense they've put out there.

Two states actually. Wyoming and Vermont.

There's an off chance that by the end of next year it could overtake Alaska as well.

But how many cows does it have, huh smart guy?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

King, Kelly, Manchin, Sinema, have all expressed reservation about statehood so I would celebrate yet

[Inmate Trump]

I don’t want to be a doomer, but I really don’t see it happening.

Republicans will do absolutely everything they can to stop it.  And it’s possible not all Democrats are even on board.

I hope I’m wrong.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

I a 50/50 if D's push this thru, but Ds are in deep pocket to Unions and they won't stop so they can ram all Progressive legislation thru the Senate with lifting of the Filibuster.

But in 2023, there could very well be a 51/49 Senate and D's still have to win over Sinema or Manchin if they keep the Trifecta, WI, PA and NH

D's did the samething with term limits and they were in the wilderness for 12 and 8 yrs

Tim Scott police Reform makes perfect sense it bans choke holds

[CookieDamage]

I don’t want to be a doomer, but I really don’t see it happening.

Republicans will do absolutely everything they can to stop it.  And it’s possible not all Democrats are even on board.

I hope I’m wrong.

except you are a doomer...

[CookieDamage]

King, Kelly, Manchin, Sinema, have all expressed reservation about statehood so I would celebrate yet

No they haven't. They've all said something along the lines of "i have to look more into it" which is nowhere near a reservation and especially nowhere near opposition.

[Inmate Trump]

I don’t want to be a doomer, but I really don’t see it happening.

Republicans will do absolutely everything they can to stop it.  And it’s possible not all Democrats are even on board.

I hope I’m wrong.

except you are a doomer...

Okay, but explain why my dooming about this is uncalled for.

[Ferguson97]

What moron decided to call it "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth"?

Everyone's still gonna call it DC anyway

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

What moron decided to call it "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth"?

I dunno.
The convention would be to call it Columbia.

Wouldn't the shorthand be Douglass? City of Washington, state/commonwealth of Douglass.

I agree that that’s how it should be, but the act as it stands (I believe) calls it the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. Maybe/hopefully it’ll end up as a Rhode Island and Providence Plantations-style bit of trivia.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Some people on this forum are gonna have reservations about DC unless the Filibuster is lifted, it's not called being a Doomer