By Martin Walsh
Democrats are wasting little time and have just introduced a bill in Congress that would forever change the balance of power in America.
And, to no one’s surprise, this could ensure they maintain control of the U.S. Senate forever.
Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware introduced a bill that would make the District of Columbia a state.
The bill to make D.C. the 51st state would create two new senators.
And, given D.C. is extremely liberal, that means Democrats would essentially have two new Senate seats for life.
“This isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue; it’s an American issue because the lack of fair representation for D.C. residents is clearly inconsistent with the values on which this country was founded,” Carper said in a statement.
Washington, D.C., has about 700,000 residents, and Carper’s claim is that those residents deserve to have two seats in the Senate as much as any state.
After the Democrat-controlled House passed a bill last summer that would give statehood to D.C., Republicans that the bill was about partisan agendas and not the public interest.
“This is about expanding the Senate map to accommodate the most radical agenda that I’ve ever seen since I’ve been up here,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said in July, according to CNN.
“There’s nothing these people won’t do to change the face of the country, and we’re tired of it,” Graham said.
“We’re gonna [have] to fight back. We fought back with [the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett] Kavanaugh. We’re gonna make sure Nancy Pelosi and all those who are driving her do not win the day,” he added.
As long as the Senate maintains the filibuster, Democrats would need 10 Republicans willing to join them.
However, if the filibuster is dismantled, Democrats could push home statehood for D.C. on a simple majority vote in which Vice President Kamala Harris could break a 50-50 tie, The Hill reported.
Stasha Rhodes, campaign manager for the group “51 for 51,” linked the Capitol incursion with statehood for D.C.
“I think that our entrenched systems of white supremacy protected the men and women committing treason,” Rhodes said.
“And for over 200 years, the same racist institutions have disenfranchised the majority black and brown residents in D.C. who live in the heart of our government, but who also help keep it running. Any time D.C.’s lack of sovereignty is on display for the nation, it heightens the awareness and the calls for statehood.”
“In my view, it would be a devastating civil rights failure if we didn’t achieve statehood now,” Rhodes said.
“Democrats control Congress and the White House. Not making D.C. a state would be a decision. It would be a choice to not grant representation for over 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C. And maybe even more, it would also be a sign that Democrats, like Republicans, are not really interested in restoring and strengthening American democracy,” Rhodes said.
As things now stand, making D.C. a state would be difficult.
Author: Martin Walsh
Source: Trending Politics: Dems Moving Fast, Announce Bill That Could Change America Forever