Norton Calls on Biden to Use State of the Union Address to Advocate for D.C. Statehood

Statement

Democratic and Republican presidents have used State of the Union addresses to advocate for D.C. voting rights and home rule

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today called on President Biden to advocate for statehood for the District of Columbia in tomorrow's State of the Union address. While the Biden administration has strongly endorsed D.C. statehood, President Biden, as president, has never discussed D.C. statehood publicly himself. Norton has personally spoken to the White House about the importance of Biden speaking up for D.C. statehood, including in the State of the Union address.

"President Biden has been a longtime supporter of D.C. statehood, but he has not yet used his bully pulpit as president to advocate for D.C. statehood," Norton said. "With House Republicans threatening to abolish the D.C. government if they are in the majority next Congress, it is more important than ever that the president forcefully push for enactment of the D.C. statehood bill this Congress. The president has given several speeches on protecting the right to vote nationally, and I expect he will discuss voting rights in the State of the Union address, as well. D.C. statehood is part of the fight for voting rights. The president will have the attention of the nation during the State of the Union address. He should use the address to advocate for D.C. statehood."

The Biden administration strongly endorsed Norton's D.C. statehood bill in a Statement of Administration Policy immediately prior to the House vote on the bill last year. In 2020 and 2021, the House passed the bill, which were the first and second times in history either chamber of Congress had passed the D.C. statehood bill. The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Tom Carper (D-DE), has a record 45 cosponsors. Today, 54 percent of Americans support statehood for the residents of our nation's capital.

D.C. has a larger population than two states, pays more federal taxes per capita than any state, and pays more federal taxes than 21 states.

Democratic and Republican presidents, including Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, and Carter, have used State of the Union addresses to advocate for congressional voting representation and local self-government for D.C.

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