This map shows the federal land that would be excluded if D.C. became the 51st state. (Courtesy District of Columbia Office of Planning)
The long-standing dream of D.C. statehood took one step closer to reality Thursday when the House passed Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s HR 51 bill.
Now, as it faces a difficult battle for passage in the Senate, D.C. leaders are renewing their rallying cries.
“Today’s victory was historic, both for D.C. residents and for the cause of D.C. statehood,” said Norton, who has championed statehood for her entire life. “For only the second time in history, the House passed the D.C. statehood bill. With Democrats in control of the Senate and White House, and with 54% of Americans supporting the bill, we have never been in a better position to achieve D.C. statehood.”