US House votes to make Washington, DC, the 51st state

Bill to grant DC statehood passes in party line vote, but faces tough opposition from Republicans in the US Senate.

Democrats in the United States House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to make the city of Washington, DC, the 51st US state. Voting along party lines with minority Republicans in opposition, the House approved the bill 216-208. It now faces a tough fight in the US Senate where it is viewed by Republicans as a Democratic power grab. While the city’s 705,000 residents are able to vote for candidates for US president, they do not have voting representation in Congress and yet must pay taxes to the government.