IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 340 

Recognizing the disenfranchisement of District of Columbia residents, calling 

for statehood for the District of Columbia through the enactment of 

the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, and expressing support for the 

designation of May 1, 2023, as ‘‘D.C. Statehood Day’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 28, 2023 

Ms. NORTON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and in addition to the Committees on Rules, Armed Services, the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the disenfranchisement of District of Columbia 

residents, calling for statehood for the District of Columbia through the enactment of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, and expressing support for the designation 

of May 1, 2023, as ‘‘D.C. Statehood Day’’. 

Whereas the United States was founded on the principles of 

consent of the governed and no taxation without representation; 

Whereas District of Columbia residents are denied voting representation in Congress and full local self-government; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HRES 340 IH 

Whereas the District of Columbia pays more per capita Federal taxes than any State and pays more Federal taxes 

than 23 States; 

Whereas statehood would give District of Columbia residents 

voting representation in Congress and full local self-government; 

Whereas Congress has the constitutional authority to pass 

the District of Columbia statehood bill, the Washington, 

D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51 and S. 51), which would 

admit the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth 

and reduce the size of the Federal district; 

Whereas the Admissions Clause of the Constitution gives 

Congress the authority to admit new States, and all 37 

new States were admitted by Congress; 

Whereas no State would have to consent to the admission of 

the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth; 

Whereas the District Clause of the Constitution gives Congress plenary authority over the Federal district and establishes a maximum size of the Federal district, but not 

a minimum size nor a location of the Federal district; 

Whereas the 23d Amendment to the Constitution allows the 

Federal district to participate in the electoral college, 

while not establishing a minimum size nor a location of 

the Federal district; 

Whereas the Constitution does not establish any prerequisites 

for new States, but Congress has generally considered 3 

factors— 

(1) population and resources; 

(2) support for statehood; and 

(3) commitment to democracy; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HRES 340 IH 

Whereas the District of Columbia has a larger population 

than 2 States; 

Whereas the District of Columbia has a larger gross domestic 

product than 16 States and a higher per capita gross domestic product than any State; 

Whereas the District of Columbia has a higher per capita 

personal income than any State; 

Whereas the District of Columbia has a triple-A bond rating; 

Whereas 86 percent of District of Columbia residents voted 

for statehood in 2016; and 

Whereas District of Columbia residents have been fighting 

for voting representation in Congress and full local selfgovernment for more than 200 years: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘D.C. Statehood 

3 Day’’; and 

4 (2) calls on Congress to pass the Washington, 

5 D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51 and S. 51). 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB