>>> THE HOUSE IS GOING TO VOTE
TOMORROW ON WHETHER WASHINGTON,
D.C. SHOULD BECOME THE 51st
STATE.
THE MEASURE HAS 226 HOUSE
CO-SPONSORS.
THAT’S MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR IT
TO PASS.
BUT SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL SAYS IT WILL NOT EVEN
COME UP FOR A VOTE IN THE
SENATE.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS THE
PRESIDENT WOULD VETO IT IF IT
DID, IF IT EVER REACHED HIS
DESK.
THIS AS MURALS SUPPORTING
STATEHOOD ARE POPPING UP ALL
OVER THE CITY.
IT’S THE CITY WHERE FEDERAL
FORCES CLEARED PROTESTERS ACROSS
THE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE WITH
CHEMICAL GAS SO THE PRESIDENT
COULD CROSS THE PARK TO A PHOTO
OP, WHILE A MILITARY HELICOPTER
SWOOPED DOWN OVER CITY STREETS
TO CHASE URBAN DEMONSTRATORS.
A COMBAT ZONE MANEUVER MORE
SUITABLE FOR FALLUJAH THAN
DOWNTOWN D.C.
THE CITY’S MAYOR COULD NOT STOP
ANY OF THAT, OR TROOPS BEING
STATIONED AT SACRED MONUMENTS,
BECAUSE UNLIKE 50 STATES AND THE
U.S. TERRITORIES, WASHINGTON IS
THE ONLY JURISDICTION WHERE THE
NATIONAL GUARD ANSWERS TO THE
PRESIDENT INSTEAD OF TO A
GOVERNOR.
>> WE HAVE TWO SENATORS THAT
VOTE FOR US AND SPEAK FOR AND
YOU SAY A VOTING REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS.
BUT WE ALSO NEEDED TO MAKE SURE
OUR BORDERS AREN’T BREACHED BY
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
>> THE CAPITAL CITY HAS 702,000
RESIDENTS, MORE THAN VERMONT OR
WYOMING.
AND PEOPLE HERE PAY MORE TOTAL
FEDERAL TAXES THAN 22 STATES.
WHAT THE DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE
IS A VOTE IN CONGRESS.
NOT SINCE A LAW PASSED IN 1801
WHICH THOMAS JEFFERSON WAS
PRESIDENT.
YOU’VE BEEN IN CONGRESS FOR 17
TERMS.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO NEVER
BE ABLE TO VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE
FOR ONE OF YOUR BILLS?
>> IT FEELS LIKE MY CITY IS NOT
FULLY RESPECTED, DESPITE PAYING
THE HIGHEST FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
PER CAPITA IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON WAS
BORN IN D.C. 83 YEARS AGO.
THE GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF
RICHARD HOLMES WHO ESCAPED FROM
A VIRGINIA SLAVE MASTER TO FIND
WORK IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL.
>> RICHARD HOLMES MADE IT TO
FREEDOM BUT HE DID NOT MAKE IT
TO EQUALITY, NOR HAVE THOSE IN
HIS LINEAGE YET MADE IT TO
EQUALITY.
THAT’S WHY WE NEED STATEHOOD, AT
LEAST PERSONALLY, WHY I NEED
STATEHOOD.
>> WITH NO SENATOR, D.C.
RESIDENTS HAVE NO SAY ON
CONFIRMING SUPREME COURT
JUSTICES OR CABINET MEMBERS OR
OTHER OFFICIALS.
CONGRESS HASN’T EVEN DEBATED
STATEHOOD SINCE 1993 WHEN IT
LOST.
>> THIS DEPRIVATION OF STATEHOOD
IS UNJUST.
>> DESPITE STRONG SUPPORT NOW IN
THE HOUSE, MOST SENATE
REPUBLICANS ARE STILL OPPOSED.
>> I DON’T THINK YOU’RE GOING TO
HAVE MANY IN THE REPUBLICAN
CONFERENCE FOR THAT.
>> I THINK OUR FOUNDING FATHERS
WERE CORRECT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> STILL, FRIDAY’S DEBATE WILL
GIVE WASHINGTON A CHANCE TO
PROTEST AGAINST TAXATION WITHOUT
REPRESENTATION, A PRINCIPLE THAT
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SETTLED BY
THOSE FOUNDERS MORE THAN 200
YEARS AGO.
JOINING ME NOW IS PULITZER
PRIZE-WINNING PRESIDENTIAL
HISTORIAN AND BIOGRAPHY JON
MEACHAM, THE AUTHOR OF "AMERICAN
LION: ANDREW JACKSON IN THE
WHITE HOUSE," AMONG MANY OTHER
BOOKS.
AS YOU KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE,
THE CAPITAL CITY WAS CREATED BY
TAKING LAND FROM MARYLAND AND
VIRGINIA IN 1801 AND THAT WAS
THE LAST TIME WE HAD ANY
REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS.
>> IT’S TEN MILES SQUARE, THAT’S
THE PHRASE IN THE CONSTITUTION.
THE ORIGINAL THINKING WAS THAT
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDED A
SOVEREIGN SPACE.
IT WAS ABOUT INDEPENDENCE,
REALLY.
THAT’S THE IRONY OF THIS.
THEY DIDN’T WANT TO BE IN
PENNSYLVANIA, WITH ALL RESPECT
TO YOU, OR NEW YORK, BECAUSE THE
GOVERNORS OF NEW YORK OR
PENNSYLVANIA MIGHT TRY TO FORCE
THEM TO DO THINGS.
AND SO THE IDEA WAS THAT IT
WOULD BE THIS KIND OF LIKE
KRYPTON, THE PLANET, AND THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD
THEREFORE BE TOTALLY SOVEREIGN.
I THINK WE’VE OUTRUN THAT LOGIC
A LONG WAY BACK.
AND I DOUBT THIS PASSES.
BUT THE STATISTICS YOU
MARSHALLED THERE, AS WELL AS THE
INTELLECTUAL ARGUMENT FROM MS.
NORTON, IS TO ME PRETTY
COMPELLING.
>> I MEAN, WHAT REALLY BROUGHT
THIS TO THE FOREFOR A LOT OF FOR
US HERE, IS WHEN THE PRESIDENT
WAS THREATENING TO USE THE
INSURRECTION ACT OF 1807 AND
ONLY WASHINGTON WOULD HAVE BEEN
UNABLE TO OBJECT BECAUSE EVERY
OTHER STATE OR TERRITORY HAVE
GOVERNORS WHO CAN SAY NO THANK
YOU, AND ONLY IN A DIRE
CIRCUMSTANCE CAN THE PRESIDENT
SUPERSEDE THAT.
IN THIS CASE THE MAYOR OBJECTED
TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN
LAFAYETTE SPARK AND SURROUNDING
AREAS, TO NO AVAIL, BECAUSE SHE
DOESN’T EVEN CONTROL THE
NATIONAL GUARD HERE.
>> NO, IT’S A QUESTION OF
SOVEREIGNTY.
AND I THINK WHAT AMERICANS
AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE TO
DECIDE IS HOW WOULD THEY FEEL IF
THEIR GOVERNOR -- A, THEY DON’T
REALLY HAVE ONE, BUT IF THEIR
GOVERNORS AND MAYORS WEREN’T
ABLE TO EXERCISE BASIC POWERS.
I THINK THE QUESTION, OBVIOUSLY
CREATING WHAT WOULD BE TWO
DEMOCRATIC SEATS IN THE SENATE,
IS THE POLITICAL REALITY THAT
WILL MAKE THIS INCREDIBLY
DIFFICULT. >> OF COURSE.
>> OF COURSE.