ACLU S.51 D.C. Statehood Written Statement

D.C. residents deserve full representation in our national government. Also, in granting Statehood through an act of Congress, S. 51 is a valid and defensible exercise of congressional power. It is beyond time to give D.C. the true autonomy and self-governance that comes with statehood.

The ACLU submitted this written statement in support of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act (S. 51) to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for its June 22, 2021 hearing on D.C. Statehood. The ACLU previously submitted this statement to the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s March 22, 2021 hearing in support of the companion bill, H.R. 51. S. 51 would grant statehood to the residential areas of the current District of Columbia as the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. The statement includes our legal analysis finding S. 51 to be a valid and defensible exercise of congressional power, complying with the District and Federal Enclaves Clause, the Admission Clause, and the Twenty-Third Amendment.