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LaMalfa Opposes Admitting D.C. as Fifty-First State

June 26, 2020

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Doug LaMalfa issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. H.R. 51 would admit Washington, D.C. as the 51st state. The new "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth," will be 66 square miles (an area about 1/20th the size of Rhode Island), with the seat of government remaining in a two square mile area that includes the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, and other federal office buildings. This area would be officially called the "Capital."

LaMalfa said: "The original agreement between Maryland and Congress was for the creation of the seat of Government. As stated by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution does not give Congress unilateral authority to undo the designation of the Federal Capital. If Washingtonians wish to be represented differently, they can petition for a process to have the residential areas of the current District returned to Maryland, just as Virginia was returned its portion of D.C. in 1846.

The Washington, D.C. Admission Act fails to consider the Electoral consequences of the new Federal District. Under the 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the seat of government receives three Electoral College votes. The only residence within the boundaries of the new Federal District is the White House which, ironically, means any President could effectively control three Electors in their own re-election. The bill's supporters, in their zeal, failed to outline a process to avoid this obvious flaw.

Additionally, H.R. 51 requires the Federal government to subsidize the new ‘State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth's' budget by $1.2 billion per year - indefinitely. While D.C.'s courts, prisons, and education system would continue to be propped up by the American taxpayer, all other states, as always, must operate their own programs.

All Americans deserve the right to be represented in Congress. However, there is little reason to establish an entirely new state other than as a political play to gain two new Senate seats."

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