D.C. Statehood Now
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D.C.

Statehood

Now

Democracy for all.

Washington, D.C. is the only national capital in the democratic world whose citizens do not have equal voting and representation rights.

It’s time to end federal tyranny and taxation without representation in our nation’s capital. It’s time to make D.C. the 51st state.

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Key Facts

Over 30,000 veterans and active-duty service members have no vote in Congress. Generations of families are from D.C. and have paid some of the highest federal taxes per person in the nation. Still, D.C. residents have no vote in Congress because D.C. is not recognized as a state.

Politicians are grabbing power instead of tackling real problems. Congress has introduced nearly 4 times as many bills to dictate what happens in D.C. as to address inflation across the country.
Trampling on D.C. is costing taxpayers millions. The Trump administration is set to dump $600 million tax dollars a year into occupying local D.C. neighborhoods with troops. That’s enough money to fund 4,488 registered nurses for a whole year.
More people live in D.C. than in Wyoming and Vermont. It would be unthinkable to deny the 588,000 people living in Wyoming their votes in Congress. But the 700,000 people who live in D.C. continue to be disenfranchised.

Stories of Impact

These stories tell a dangerous truth: without statehood, D.C. does not control the local National Guard presence — the president does. With Statehood, D.C. residents could better defend against federal overreach.

Sam O’Hara

D.C. resident Sam O’Hara was handcuffed for playing the “Imperial March” from Star Wars while walking behind National Guard troops after President Trump deployed the armed military to patrol D.C. neighborhoods. Mr. O’Hara sued because peaceful protest is constitutional, even when it embarrasses or annoys those in power.

Anna King

D.C. resident and decorated combat veteran Anna King was sitting on her front patio when three National Guard members walked through her gate and violently restrained her. The Guard members pinned her to the ground, kneeled on her back, and handcuffed her tightly, causing significant injuries. Captain King filed a legal claim against the troops who assaulted her because troops cannot behave like they are above the law.

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Why D.C. Statehood Matters

The Issues

D.C. Statehood is about all of us. There is no democracy without D.C. Statehood.

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Democracy for All

The denial of full voting rights to the 700,000 residents of D.C., the majority of whom are Black and brown, is an egregious example of ongoing voter suppression happening in our country today.

D.C. residents pay their federal and local taxes just like everyone else, yet they are being denied their full voting rights.

Among D.C.’s voting population today are more than 11,000 active-duty service members and more than 30,000 veterans, all of whom are being denied their full voting rights simply because they live in D.C.

D.C. statehood is constitutional and granting D.C. statehood does not require any new constitutional amendments.

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Justice and Freedom for All

Because D.C. is not a state, Congress has been able to block D.C. residents from passing local laws to protect and expand rights for immigrants, LGBTQ communities, and reproductive rights.

From COVID-19 relief to HIV/AIDS and abortion access, full voting rights and local democracy will make the people of D.C. free to effectively address local public health issues.

Lack of statehood means that D.C. does not have control over many aspects of its own criminal justice system and is unable to enact needed reforms for local safety.

The denial of statehood to D.C. residents is rooted in racism. Just as Black voters started to exercise their political power in D.C. after the Civil War, Congress replaced D.C.’s local government, blocking the heavily Black region from having full voting rights.

More About the Issues

Why D.C. Statehood is Constitutional

Resources

We can’t let the federal government trample local freedoms and democracy anywhere — especially not in our nation’s capital.

Together, we can make D.C. the 51st state. But people who live in D.C. cannot achieve statehood on our own. We need your help.

Making D.C. Statehood a reality requires each one of us to tell our friends, families, and allies around the country that D.C. Statehood matters — and what everyone can do to help.

All Resources
Toolkit
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As you travel to other states or welcome out of town guests to D.C., use this guide to talk to your friends and family to build the national support we need to make D.C. a state the very next chance we get.
Education
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Blog
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Explainer Videos
The Case for D.C. Statehood
Hundreds of thousands of Washington, D.C. residents currently lack full political representation. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents them in the House of Representatives, is currently leading an initiative to make the District of Columbia the 51st state.
Toolkits
There’s No Democracy without D.C. Statehood
At a time when Americans across the country are struggling with rising costs, we need members of Congress to focus on bringing real results home to their constituents, not micromanaging the people of D.C.
Toolkits
How To Talk To Your Pro-Abortion Friends And Family About D.C. Statehood
With the Dobbs decision taking the federal right to an abortion away, D.C. statehood could protect and expand abortion care for all. To become a state, we need all hands on deck!

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Support D.C. Statehood Now.
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