Democrats' quest to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state hit a big roadblock this week in the form of a fellow Democrat.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he opposed Congress alone creating the new state and he believes, like Republicans have argued, that statehood for the nation's capital needs to be done through a constitutional amendment.
"If Congress wants to make D.C. a state, it should propose a constitutional amendment," Manchin said in an interview with the West Virginia MetroNews radio network, according to The Associated Press."It should propose a constitutional amendment and let the people of America vote."In a 50-50 split Senate, D.C. statehood already had a tough shot of becoming a reality because as long as the legislative filibuster is in place the proposal would require 60 votes to advance.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., adjusts his face mask as he arrives for votes on Biden administration nominees, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Manchin said he's against D.C. Statehood passing unilaterally through Congress. Manchin, a moderate member from a red state, has been outspoken in his opposition to eliminating the legislative filibuster too. His siding with Republicans on various issues has frustrated liberals who want to use the slim Democratic majority in the House and Senate to pass major priorities like federal voting rights legislation, police reform, D.C. statehood and raising the minimum wage to $15.
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