Now the initiative is sent to the Senate, where it will face resistance from the Republicans.
51 states may appear in the USA / photo from UNIAN
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The US House of Representatives voted for the second time in a year to declare the District of Columbia the 51st state.
The decision was supported by 216 lawmakers, and 208 voted against, writes Voice of America.
The publication notes that in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, votes were divided along the party line. Now the initiative is sent to the Senate, where it will face resistance from the Republicans.
In Washington, DC, a large proportion of the population supports Democrats. As a state, the district is likely to elect two Democratic senators, which could alter the balance of power in the Senate, where seats are now equally split between the two parties.
Read alsoThe White House supports the creation of the 51st US state
Democrats, who have been seeking state recognition of the US capital for decades, hope they can make this plan a reality by electing Joe Biden as president and gaining control of the Senate and House of Representatives. There have been no new states in the country since 1959, when Alaska and Hawaii were declared separate states.
Democrats believe that Washington’s recognition by the state will correct centuries of injustice.
“More than 700,000 US citizens pay federal taxes, fight and die in wars, serve on juries, but do not have the right to vote in the Senate or House of Representatives. This is the embodiment of the principle of taxes without representation,” said Congresswoman Jen Shakowski.
The new state is proposed to be named “Washington, Commonwealth of Douglas” after the first President of the United States, George Washington and renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglas.
United States of America: what is known
USA – country in North America. The United States has a federal form of structure, administratively divided into 50 states, which are equal subjects of the federation, and the Federal District of Columbia. A number of island territories (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam and others) are also subordinate to them.
Each state has its own constitution, legislative, executive and judicial branches.
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Alexander Topchy
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