As Congressional Democrats introduce legislation to begin the process of making Washington D.C. a state, Republicans have been looking for any reason to deny D.C. residents the same representation afforded to other U.S. citizens.
Republicans' true motivations are obvious.
Washington D.C. leans heavily Democrat and would likely mean two new Senate seats on the left.
Since political preference isn't a legitimate reason to deny citizens representation, however, Republicans have had to think up other, often nonsensical reasons, why D.C. shouldn't be a state.
Republican Congressman Jody Hice of Georgia, for instance, said D.C.'s residents don't deserve seats in Congress because it doesn't have a car dealership.
Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) argues against D.C. statehood because it doesn’t have a car dealership, a landfill, or an air… https://t.co/LXoVghw6vB— The Recount (@The Recount) 1616434876.0
As ludicrous as Hice's point is on its face, it was also embarrassingly incorrect, as someone pointed out to him as soon as he made it.
Washington D.C. does, in fact, have a car dealership.
Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA): “If there’s a car dealership in D.C., I apologize for being wrong. I have no idea where it i… https://t.co/eGZEkQGP9q— The Recount (@The Recount) 1616435189.0
Story on thing that happened https://t.co/ojSRRJXjo2— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1616452161.0
Taxation without representation is the reason for our country's split from Great Britain, but Republicans are now advocating for it in the case of left-leaning places like Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
One of the reasons Republicans dress up their arguments against D.C. statehood in legalese is because otherwise the… https://t.co/Uj8K7j9OjV— Mark Joseph Stern (@Mark Joseph Stern) 1616432704.0
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) points out that there is a landfill and a car dealership in D.C. and calls these arguments… https://t.co/2UCi9ZsuS4— The Recount (@The Recount) 1616435312.0
@therecount Btw, this joke of a legislator is running for GA Secretary in a primary against Raffensperger, endorsed… https://t.co/oRuqGZN81e— Frau Schatzi (@Frau Schatzi) 1616504984.0
Washington D.C. contains more people than Vermont and Wyoming, but its citizens have no power in Congress.
@therecount Vermont is the only state that you can't find skyscrapers, Chik-Fil-A, McDonalds, an Imax theater, or e… https://t.co/T6rspjRjv0— 🌴🐚 Brian D. King 🐚🌴 🏴☠️ (@🌴🐚 Brian D. King 🐚🌴 🏴☠️) 1616465861.0
@therecount How ridiculous. And BTW. Don’t these people have google?— REDDOG (@REDDOG) 1616500775.0
@therecount When there are no valid arguments, stupid stuff like this comes out. Unbelievable.— grace sanchez (@grace sanchez) 1616435206.0
Though the framers of the Constitution didn't picture Washington D.C. becoming a state, the world has changed in many ways since their lifetimes.
@therecount Pretty sure when Georgia became a state there was no airport, landfill or car dealership. Boy I wish th… https://t.co/KgKIw9JDVw— Pickleball Oma (@Pickleball Oma) 1616437574.0
@therecount I guess this guy doesn’t his history very well. Washington D.C. was built on a landfill.— Kevin Kaminsky (@Kevin Kaminsky) 1616436876.0
Apparently, our Founding Fathers stated..."to thee who want statehood, be known now, car dealerships whilst be requ… https://t.co/GLJUjE5I7C— BigBossBunny (@BigBossBunny) 1616505837.0
Hice was dragged by pretty much everyone on Twitter for his silly statement.
Just dumb https://t.co/3gks6ZMSeR— Melo Grant (@Melo Grant) 1616503379.0
What it does have is people...more people than Colorado or Wyoming. People who are taxpayers, Americans and should… https://t.co/r8vCRQC5pJ— Hugh444 (@Hugh444) 1616501809.0
But does it have people? Guess we’ll never know. https://t.co/k0Qiv1iZME— Jo. (@Jo.) 1616500328.0
The denial of the right to representation for D.C. residents has been noticed around the world, with the United Nations Human Rights Committee even calling out the U.S. for breaking the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2006.
It's time for the taxpaying U.S. citizens who live in Washington D.C. to be given their right to representation.