Congress Has The Constitutional Authority to Grant D.C. Statehood

By rmrd0000 on Mon, 05/24/2021 - 9:14am |

One of the most nettlesome objections to extending congressional representation to the residents of Washington, D.C., is that it requires a constitutional amendment. Many Republicans say this, which is hardly surprising. But it’s also the position of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), whose opposition could doom the effort.

Now, however, several dozen leading constitutional law experts are weighing in with a new letter that seeks to demolish this argument once and for all, making the case that granting D.C. statehood is absolutely within Congress’ constitutional authority. This should give the cause a big boost at a critical moment.

“Congress should not avoid exercising its express constitutional authority to admit the Commonwealth into the Union,” states the letter, which is signed by Harvard’s Laurence Tribe and Georgetown’s Caroline Frederickson, among many others.

URL:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/24/dc-statehood-constitutional-letter/

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Why Congressional hearings suck

Here's my #longread feature for our latest issue: Have you wondered why Congressional hearings are, I don't know, bad? I dove into the history of oversight, the forces hobbling it today, and how to make it great again.https://t.co/VoPPCpW037
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