D.C. statehood to be discussed at community meeting hosted by congressional delegate

For the first time in more than a quarter-century, Congress is scheduled to hold a hearing on D.C. statehood July 24. But tomorrow, the District’s congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, will host a community forum on the matter, helping to build momentum leading up to the hearing. The meeting will occur at the downtown Metropolitan AME Church at 6 p.m.

“The forum is a chance for D.C. residents, faith-based activists, and members of community groups to hear and speak out on the latest efforts to achieve statehood [for the District] and to build community around this shared goal,” Norton’s office says in a release. It will last for roughly two hours and be co-hosted by Reverend William Lamar IV, the pastor of the church.

Record numbers of House and Senate members have co-sponsored companion legislation to make the District the 51st state: 216 and 33, respectively. None, though, are Republicans, and with the Senate and the White House still controlled by Republicans, it is unclear when D.C. statehood would materialize. Under the legislation, the District would gain two senators and a representative. (As a delegate, Norton cannot vote on the House floor, only in committees.)