# What the Washington, D.C. Admission Act Actually Does

This bill would make Washington, D.C. a state. Right now, D.C. is a federal district—not a state—which means the roughly 700,000 people who live there have very limited representation in Congress. This bill would change that by officially admitting D.C. as the "State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth" and giving it two U.S. Senators and at least one Representative in the House, just like every other state.

Currently, D.C. residents can't vote for President or Vice President (though they got limited electoral votes in 1961), and they only have a non-voting delegate in Congress who can't actually vote on legislation. This bill would fix that. Once D.C. becomes a state, its residents would vote in presidential elections like everyone else, and their elected representatives would have full voting power in Congress. The bill also requires Congress to consider a constitutional amendment to repeal the 23rd Amendment, which currently gives D.C. its limited electoral votes—this would become unnecessary once D.C. is a state.

The bill carefully handles the federal government's interests. It creates a smaller federal district that would remain under federal control, containing just the Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court, and other core government buildings. This federal area would stay separate from the new state, so Congress can still control the seat of government without state interference. Federal property wouldn't be taxed by the new state, and federal employees working in D.C. would continue operating under federal rules. The bill also preserves existing federal benefits for D.C. government employees and maintains federal court operations, though the courts would be renamed to reflect the new state status.

For D.C. residents, statehood would mean gaining voting representation in Congress, participating in presidential elections, and having a state government with full powers like any other state. However, it would also mean D.C. residents would lose some special federal protections and would be subject to state laws rather than federal district laws. The bill requires elections for two senators and one representative to happen within 30 days of the bill becoming law, so the new state could immediately send representatives to Congress.

Washington, D.C. Admission Act

Norton, Eleanor Holmes

Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for the admission of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth into the United States. The commonwealth consists of all the territory of the District of Columbia (DC), excluding certain federal property. The excluded property shall be known as the Capital and serve as the seat of federal government; it includes the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court Building, and the federal office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and Capitol Building. In addition, the bill maintains the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property and prohibits the commonwealth from taxing federal property except as permitted by Congress. Within 30 days of this bill's enactment, the DC mayor must call for the election of two Senators and one Representative for the commonwealth. The commonwealth shall be admitted into the United States upon a presidential proclamation announcing the results of that election. The bill applies current DC laws to the commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. It also continues certain federal authorities and responsibilities, including regarding employee benefits, agencies, and courts, until the commonwealth certifies that it is prepared to take over those authorities and responsibilities. Further, the bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution to repeal the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution (which allows DC citizens to vote in presidential elections). The bill also establishes a commission to advise the President, Congress, and DC and commonwealth leaders on the transition.