Carper’s D.C. Statehood Bill Earns Record Amount of Cosponsors

S. 51 now boasts 45 cosponsors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), senior member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and the Senate’s longtime top advocate to make D.C. the 51^st state, announced today that a record amount of cosponsors have now joined his D.C. statehood bill, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act (S. 51). With the addition of U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the legislation now boasts 45 cosponsors, the highest amount ever on a bill granting statehood to the District of Columbia. The House passed its D.C. statehood bill on April 22.

“With a record amount of Senate cosponsors and support from the House and White House, the momentum is firmly on the side of ending D.C.’s second class status and granting equal representation to the over 700,000 Americans who call the district home,” said Carper. “These are citizens who, just like in any other state, pay federal taxes, contribute to our economy and serve in the military. In fact, roughly 15,000 D.C. residents are currently active duty or reserve service members across our Armed Forces. It is long past time to right this historic wrong and live up to the words of our founding fathers, who declared ‘no taxation without representation.’ We have a moral obligation to see this through for our fellow Americans reside in D.C., and I have every confidence that this legislation can get to the President’s desk this Congress.”

Carper has introduced D.C. statehood legislation every Congress since 2013. Carper is also a cosponsor of the District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act and the District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act, which would give the District of Columbia autonomy over its own National Guard and police force, respectively.

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