U.S. Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA-10) told constituents in an emailed newsletter this week that he opposes statehood for Washington, D.C. “and all other reckless attempts by the Democratic Party to cement their power.”
Hice specifically referred to H.R. 51, which would, if enacted into law, admit the District of Columbia into the United States as the state of “Washington, Douglass Commonwealth.” Hice said Democrats are moving the bill through the U.S. House Oversight Committee.
“D.C. is overwhelmingly liberal and granting it statehood would all but guarantee two new safe Senate seats for the Democratic Party. There’s a host of problems with this legislation. For starters, H.R. 51 disregards the intention and wisdom of our Founding Fathers. The District of Columbia holds a unique status in our system of government as outlined in the Constitution,” Hice wrote.
“Our Founding Fathers believed that no state should inherently have more power or influence than any other. As James Madison argued in Federalist Paper No. 43, if America’s capital were situated in a single state, that state would wield tremendous influence over the federal government, and the Constitution was explicitly crafted to avoid this situation by carving out a federal enclave in which to seat the capital on neutral ground. In short, there is a very smart and valid reason the District of Columbia exists.”
Hice went on to say that H.R. 51 “is simply unconstitutional.”
“Congress, by itself, cannot make D.C. a state because the Constitution specifically addresses the District several times and grants it special privileges – all of which would need to be addressed by a constitutional amendment,” Hice said.
“Yet, H.R. 51 does not address this fundamental problem in the slightest and completely ignores the importance of the District in the Constitution.”
Congress.gov lists U.S. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton as the bill’s primary sponsor.
The bill has many co-sponsors, including U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13), U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02), U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA-07).
As The Georgia Star News reported last month, Hice wants to replace Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and will run for Raffensperger’s seat next year. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a written statement, promptly endorsed Hice’s candidacy.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
