The U.S. House voted along party lines 216-208 to pass H.R. 51, the so-called “Washington, D.C. Admission Act” granting statehood to the District of Columbia, but final passage by the Senate is not a sure thing, as noted by Fox News.
As reported by AmmoLand News, D.C. statehood is an effort that could threaten the Second Amendment, because passage would give Democrats a stranglehold on the upper house of Congress unless more states send Republicans to the Capitol.
Congressman Jody Hice, in an Op-Ed for Fox News, wrote, “We are witnessing a radical transformational push by the Left to bend and warp America’s institutions and government to their will. This week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., plans to ram the next phase of Democrats’ strategy through the House: granting statehood to the District of Columbia.”
Hice noted a few lines later, “The Constitution was explicitly crafted to avoid this by carving out a federal district in which to seat the capital on neutral ground.”
Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the grassroots Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms asserted recently, the effort to add two Senate seats almost certain to be Democrats in perpetuity is a direct attempt to reverse the pro-rights Supreme Court rulings in Heller and McDonald.
Every House Republican voted against the measure. Democrats voted for it. The vote symbolizes the deep divide existing in the country today, and also underscores claims by the GOP and conservative organizations and gun rights activists this is nothing more than a Democrat power grab.
Democrats also want to end the Senate filibuster, which would open the door to packing the Supreme Court. Underscoring that was a press event outside the Capitol featuring House anti-gun Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo.; Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.; Jason Crow, D-Colo., and others, Fox reported. Bush and Crow made it clear they believe they were sent to Washington to push for more gun control laws.
As noted by Fox News, “Bush alleged that Republicans are blocking legislation on elections, police reform, “common-sense gun control,” “making D.C. the 51st state” and more.”
“Americans, Crow said, ‘do not care about arcane Senate rules and procedures. What they care about is ending gun violence’ and implementing other policies,” according to the Fox News story.
There are some 700,000 residents in the District, but they do not have a voting member in the House, though DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton does represent them on Capitol Hill. The District has no representation in the Senate.
