273 
(3) There are no constitutional, historical, fis-
cal, or economic reasons why the Americans who live 
in the District of Columbia should not be granted 
statehood. 
(4) Since the founding of the United States, the 
residents of the District of Columbia have always 
carried all of the obligations of citizenship, including 
serving in all of the Nation’s wars and paying Fed-
eral taxes, but have been denied voting representa-
tion in Congress and freedom from congressional in-
terference in purely local matters. 
(5) The District of Columbia pays more Federal 
taxes per capita than any State and more Federal 
taxes than 22 States. 
(6) The District of Columbia has a larger popu-
lation than 2 States (Wyoming and Vermont), and 
6 States have a population under one million. 
(7) The District of Columbia has a larger budg-
et than 12 States. 
(8) The Constitution of the United States gives 
Congress the authority to admit new States (clause 
1, section 3, article IV) and reduce the size of the 
seat of the Government of the United States (clause 
17, section 8, article I). All 37 new States have been 
admitted by an Act of Congress, and Congress has 
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previously reduced the size of the seat of the Gov-
ernment of the United States. 
(9) On June 26, 2020, by a vote of 232–180, 
the House of Representatives passed H.R. 51, the 
Washington, D.C. Admission Act, which would have 
admitted the State of Washington, Douglass Com-
monwealth from the residential portions of the Dis-
trict of Columbia and reduced the size of the seat 
of the Government of the United States to the 
United States Capitol, the White House, the United 
States Supreme Court, the National Mall, and the 
principal Federal monuments and buildings. 
Subtitle D—Territorial Voting 
Rights 
SEC. 2301. FINDINGS RELATING TO TERRITORIAL VOTING 
RIGHTS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The right to vote is one of the most power-
ful instruments residents of the territories of the 
United States have to ensure that their voices are 
heard. 
(2) These Americans have played an important 
part in the American democracy for more than 120 
years. 
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(3) Political participation and the right to vote 
are among the highest concerns of territorial resi-
dents in part because they were not always afforded 
these rights. 
(4) Voter participation in the territories consist-
ently ranks higher than many communities on the 
mainland. 
(5) Territorial residents serve and die, on a per 
capita basis, at a higher rate in every United States 
war and conflict since WWI, as an expression of 
their commitment to American democratic principles 
and patriotism. 
SEC. 2302. CONGRESSIONAL TASK FORCE ON VOTING 
RIGHTS OF UNITED STATES CITIZEN RESI-
DENTS OF TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED 
STATES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the legislative branch a Congressional Task Force on Vot-
ing Rights of United States Citizen Residents of Terri-
tories of the United States (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Task Force shall be com-
posed of 12 members as follows: 
(1) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
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House of Representatives, in coordination with the 
Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives. 
(2) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, in coordination with the 
Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
House of Representatives. 
(3) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, in coordination with the 
Chairman of the Committee on House Administra-
tion of the House of Representatives. 
(4) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives, in coordination 
with the ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(5) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives, in coordination 
with the ranking minority member of the Committee 
on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. 
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(6) One Member of the House of Representa-
tives, who shall be appointed by the minority leader 
of the House of Representatives, in coordination 
with the ranking minority member of the Committee 
on House Administration of the House of Represent-
atives. 
(7) One Member of the Senate, who shall be ap-
pointed by the majority leader of the Senate, in co-
ordination with the Chairman of the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 
(8) One Member of the Senate, who shall be ap-
pointed by the majority leader of the Senate, in co-
ordination with the Chairman of the Committee on 
the Judiciary of the Senate. 
(9) One Member of the Senate, who shall be ap-
pointed by the majority leader of the Senate, in co-
ordination with the Chairman of the Committee on 
Rules and Administration of the Senate. 
(10) One Member of the Senate, who shall be 
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, in 
coordination with the ranking minority member of 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate. 
(11) One Member of the Senate, who shall be 
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, in 
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