Today, Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) released a statement announcing that all 76 House Members have cosponsored Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D-DC) bill (H.R. 1291) to make the District of Columbia the 51st state. CPC Member Sen. Bernie Sanders is a cosponsor of Sen. Carper’s bill (S. 1278) for D.C. statehood. The CPC is the largest values based caucus in the House Democratic Caucus and officially endorsed the D.C. statehood bill last year, as it has in previous Congresses. The bill has a record number of cosponsors (158), who comprise more than 80 percent of House Democrats:
“Equal representation for the people of Washington, D.C. is long overdue and we must ensure that their voices are reflected on Capitol Hill,” said Rep. Pocan. “From tax policy and the budget, to labor and environmental issues, the people of Washington, D.C. deserve to have a say in our nation’s government, which is why I’m proud to join all 76 House Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus as cosponsors of Rep. Norton’s legislation. Not only is Rep. Norton’s D.C. statehood bill the right step forward to ensure equality and fairness, it is also the right step forward for our democracy.”
“It’s an embarrassing shortcoming of our democracy that the 700,000 residents of the District of Columbia who serve in the military, pay taxes, and vote for their local leaders, have no voting representation in the U.S. Congress,” said Rep. Grijalva. “Like every other place in the nation, D.C. residents deserve the opportunity to control their budget and laws and have a vote in Congress to represent the voices of their community. I’m proud to stand up for democracy, remedy this injustice, and support statehood for the people of the District of Columbia.”
“I am grateful to my CPC colleagues for leading the way with 100 percent cosponsorship of our bill to grant equal citizenship to more than 700,000 D.C. residents,” Rep. Norton continued. “The Progressive Caucus has always been one the strongest foundations of support for D.C. statehood, and their unanimous cosponsorship sends an especially strong signal to the nation that supporting statehood is an issue that helps define you as a progressive. This ringing endorsement will be particularly useful in helping me bring the few remaining Democrats onto our D.C. statehood bill.”
“Statehood for the District of Columbia now has more support in Congress than ever in history. The Congressional Progressive Caucus is leading the way toward equality for all D.C. residents with their 100% support,” said Bo Shuff, Executive Director of DCVote. “We look forward to working together with the CPC to continue to educate the public and other Members of Congress about what statehood really means.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is the largest caucus within the House Democratic Caucus, with over 70 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and promote civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, a $15 national minimum wage, fair trade, gun violence reform, debt-free college, and making the federal government a Model Employer.
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