For the past 30 years, D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has been fighting like hell to make D.C. a state—and now victory may be on the horizon! Sam sat down with Delegate Holmes to understand what D.C. statehood would mean for its residents, the country, and most importantly, the U.S. flag.
This piece was produced by Mike Rubens with Annie Kopp and edited by Jesse Coane.
Watch Full Frontal with Samantha Bee all new Wednesdays at 10:30/ 9:30c on TBS!
#SamanthaBee #FullFrontalSamB
SamBee.com
As long as a CERTAIN TWO Democratic senators decide to get rid of the filibuster, this will be passed tomorrow.
ReplyLet’s give Texas, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico back to Mexico and Give Florida and Louisiana back to Spain.
Reply“We have too many small states clogging up the Senate. Let’s make it worse!” No, not logical. Puerto Rico definitely should be a state. It has more than 3 million people and isn’t connected to other states. DC? It’s a city in Maryland. LA? NYC? Chicago? Why aren’t those states?
The federal reserve should be shrunk to only include key buildings. In the end, only two families should be living outside of a state: those of the president and VP. However, that’s no excuse for DC being a state.
ReplyJust shows you how BROKEN our country is!
ReplyD.C. deserves statehood. Joe Manchin is a Republican and the Senate needs to be abolished.
Replyby splitting the GOP…
Replyinto two warring factions…
the orange clown may quite by accident…
actually “make America great again”…
Thanks for this exclusive report. I really was not aware the reasons for it, but now I’m in!!!
ReplyDC should be a state because I want a flag with a circle of stars
ReplyI actually spent some time designing how the flag could look with 51 or 52 stars…. and I’m not even from the States.
Replya black woman getting common sense things done when no one else would? Shocking….
ReplyI think it is worth mentioning the whole “2 new senators” argument. These senators would probably be Democrats. I think this is a huge, if unspoken, argument the Rs are making.
ReplyWhy don’t they just make it part of Maryland? Or at least divide the residential parts between Maryland and Virginia so that only the government buildings themselves aren’t part of either state. I would rather Puerto Rico being much larger in land and population get statehood first. It’s not like people there can commute from anywhere like people working in DC do.
ReplyYou can stagger the stars with 51 or 52 states quite nicely and barely notice the difference. Just look at the flag designs on Wikipedia. But even so, our flag changed constantly before 1950. Why does it matter how it changes now?
ReplyThanks Sam!
ReplyThe 51 star flag has already been designed; it is by the same man who designed the 50 star flag.
Replystraight forward question and a very good avoidance to answer it. @4:38 Do yout think the senate dems have what it takes to get rid of the filibuster!! They cant get rid of it.. the establishment wont allow it.. we need more progressives in the senate!!
Replyyou KNOw republicans would refuse to fly the new flag.
ReplyManchin will never go for D.C. statehood. Manchin is very much an “if it doesn’t help my state, then I don’t care” kind of person. I should know. I live in West Virginia and that’s why he won.
ReplyBut can we get rid of Florida?
ReplyWell.. Texas doesn’t seem to want to be one.. so.. maybe we switch up?
Replygod sam you are so beautiful
ReplyCareful watch you wish for DC, if they get statehood suddenly they dont need to be the seat of government, they’re just a state like everyone else right? …this is a double edged sword for DC IMO, there’s privileges to being “the nation’s capital”
ReplyNext Puerto Rico and Guam! Come on Dems representation and equality for all US citizens!!!
ReplyI would love to see all of the workers in D.C. not show up for work on the same day. I would support the police, fire and medical folks to keep working, because their work is intrinsic to the safety of the populace. But everyone else should just not go to work. Take a day at the park. Then when the wheels came off because the ” important people” wouldn’t get their lattes. Or their office cleaned. Or their dinner on the town. Or their drink a the bar. Or their cheap meal in their cafeteria. you get the picture.
ReplyHow did this person get on tv?
ReplyPuerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa too, please!
Reply“The least of our worries is the flag.”
Fox News: “See!? She’s a communist who hates America and everything we stand for!!”
ReplyBiden is counting on Manchin to maintain the status quo.
ReplyA remarkable woman! Thank you for not giving up?
ReplyIm sorry but these Republicans are ridiculous and a stain on Democracy.
Does Jim Jordan have tiny hands?
put a rainbow colored star for #51 <3
ReplyMay I have an American made flag please because Republicans sold us out for cheap labor all over the world, not just one country or another, everywhere. Thanks Ron
ReplyEHN is a true American patriot and hero!
ReplyWow. This lady is a legend. They should put her on the bill.
ReplyMake it a prision,crimes wear masks
ReplyD.C., should be a city in Maryland whereas PR should be a state. That’s my opinion anyway.
ReplyNo
Reply“it’s like she is auditing Congress.” I love that line.
ReplyNow that DC is mostly gentrified it deserves to be a state go figure
ReplyGo ahead and open that pandoras box, once there is no longer a capital city, just a Capitol building.. then the Republicans can move it to Florida with a simple majority vote..so while it constitutional, it doesn’t mean its a good idea..
ReplyIf our electoral system accurately represented the will of the people republicans would never win. DC statehood is a step closer to proper representation. Abolishing the electoral college is a step closer. Banning the filibuster will help a lot too.
ReplyCancel this show plz
ReplyI calculated Norton is a 4th gen Washingtonian. Right? Not a 3rd gen.
ReplyI mean 51 is a slightly less satisfying round number but like…who cares?
ReplySo join Maryland and have voting power that way.
ReplyTaxation without representation, sound familiar?
ReplyWhy are politicians such knuckle draggers? It seems everything that needs a law to protect or give rights to a group of people or nature takes far too long, even thou they know the law will happen eventually they still knuckle drag and knuckle drag … it’s worse than watching paint dry by 1000 times
ReplyI lived in SE D.C. and as I recall, we didn’t pay tax on various goods like food and clothing. I was young but is this not true?
ReplyNo way a city with half a million people should be a state before Puerto Rico which has more than 7 million people,
ReplyAmericans whine that the flag gets flown upside down so go back to a design that can’t be flown upside down.
ReplyWashington DC should be joined with Maryland so that the people get their vote back.
ReplyIt’s amazing the DemocRats are focusing on DC statehood when they should make Puerto Rico a state. DC should be rejoined with Maryland.
ReplyNative Washingtonian, now living in the Maryland ‘burbs to guarantee that I’m represented in Congress. Also, when DC was established no one thought anyone would actually live here as true residents; they thought folks in the Federal Government would come here to conduct national business and would then be able to vote in their home States.
ReplyWhat about Puerto Rico?
ReplyAwful. Way off. Not even close.
ReplyThe bill is already DOA. When DC was established it was done under this premise. If the virus there reject said premise they simply need to move.
ReplyFolks might ask: why not Puerto Rico? Unlike DC, Puerto Rico has an option to be independent. DC can only be either a district with no representation or a state on its own. (Or be counted as part of Maryland in Senate and House elections)
ReplyThe founders wanted this ground of government neutral. Check your history of why.
ReplyIf DC can be a state, then make Northern California the state of Jefferson.
ReplyWhere are the dockyards in Wyoming?
ReplyIt is long overdue that the American citizens who live in the District of Columbia have VOTING representation in both the House and Senate like every other American citizen has. The only citizen’s who have taxation without representation. If the GQP is worried how D.C. statehood might affect elections, maybe they should concentrate on more popular ideas and policies instead of denying 689,545 Americans the right to representation in our government.
ReplyMAKE DC PART OF THE STATES OF VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND !!!!!!
ReplyWhat is really crazy is how many times the Republicans try to make Guam the 51 State after striking down Puerto and DC.
Another crazy idea by 5 Republicans was to make Afghanistan an American Territory.
Something Mitch McConnell has said many times was to take over the Philippines again and in a few years make that country into a state.
Only Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley want to make Taiwan an American Territory and actually fought for it during the Trump administration.
ReplyI had no idea this show was still going i thought it was canceled
ReplyTwo more guaranteed Democratic senators? Not everyone is on board with that.
ReplyAre we basing statehood on the amount of car dealerships? My town would be like 7 different states….
ReplyCombine North and South Dakota and Virginia and West Virginia into 2 states and make Puerto Rico and D.C. states. You wouldn’t have to change the flag.
ReplyShould we just give back the land to Maryland instead od making it a state?
ReplyThe founders never should have made DC as big as it did. They should have made it large enough to hold the government buildings and no larger. Or they should have denied private ownership and building permits for residential housing.
ReplyWe’ve done nothing but find ways around the Constitution when it comes to Trump violating it. Just like everything else in this country, we refer to the “laws” or general statutes when they fit the agenda. This country puts so much emphasis on platitudes and far less on reality. It’s not politically correct to say that making DC a state would likely swing the elections in favor of Democrats, so they hide behind the Constitution. It’s not politically correct to say that we don’t like when Black people utilize rights granted by the Bill of Rights – so we’ll blame our disdain for the usage on anything else…not the right time, some people were violent, blah blah blah. It’s more important to SAY that kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to veterans while ignoring the fact that, in reality, they (veterans) represent a HUGE percentage of our homeless population. We don’t do well with taking care of people in this country unless someone is able to get rich from it. We ignore the fact that over half the stadium is rushing to the concession stands, sitting and texting, etc., while the anthem is being performed – naw…we’re focused on the 9 or so Black NFL players who have the nerve to forget that they could still be slaves – again…since that’s not politically correct to say, we blame it on other things that we clearly don’t care about or value. It’s more important to SAY we’re anti-racist while simultaneously blocking any initiatives that would level the playing field – in an effort to maintain status quo. We’re a nation of hypocrites. The game is to keep the bottom 90 percent of us distracted while the top 10 remain in power – period. That’s why all of the isms persist and that’s why there’s been a long block of DC becoming a state. Simply put, it limits the control and “ebb/flow” of our political structure. Let’s face it…we’ve basically been watching the presidency switch from Democrat to Republican almost evenly over the past 40 years. DC statehood might mess that up.
ReplyIf we cannot for some reason have more than 50 states, I say we kick out Florida! And not having a car dealership id a dumb reason for DC to not become a state. You can buy a car online now, especially if you want a Tesla!
ReplyWhy do you mock Central Jersey
ReplyCall him; it would *be* a great show.
ReplyArticle I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the US Constitution calls for a Federal District to be the Capital so that the Capital would NOT be in any one state (Federalist 43). DC Statehood will require a Constitutional Amendment
ReplyShe kept it clean. They should totally show this clip in History/Social Studies classes!
ReplyCan we all PLEASE remember every weaksause GOP argument AGAINST DC Statehood, and SHOVE IT IN THEIR FACES when the debate for Puerto Rican Statehood happens? PR DEFINITELY HAS; Car dealerships, manufacturing, mining, forts (does he mean bases?) Dockyards, etc etc…. or will they then “move the goalposts” for Puerto Rico’s eligibility (what will the terms for “not white enough” be, then? Lol!)
ReplyNo reason why the Gops don’t want it because they’ll have another Democrat State!! They have to cheat to win…uh huh,!!
ReplyPuerto Rico (3,285,874 2020
Reply)
D.C (689,545)
No taxation without representation, what about Puerto Rico?
Supreme Court says no 😉
ReplyNot if Republicans have anything to say about it!
ReplySo happy to see finally the purpouse of a party neutral federal district has been demolished, from now on national elections will be measured by whoever party afilliation wins the district central, yeeeha Democracy! Thanks!
ReplyWe must add DC and Puerto Rico (Population in 2020 census: 3,285,874). How we can claim to be a shining light on a hill while denying the fundamental rights of Americans like this is beyond me. It surely couldn’t be because _these_ Americans speak Spanish — could it? South Africa recognized its apartheid problem decades ago: it’s beyond time we dealt with ours.
ReplySure the do
ReplySure they do
Reply“In ’91 I was a tiny baby” YOU WAS BORN IN ’69 you was like 21 SHUT TF UP lol
ReplyIf America wants to keep its number of States at 50, just combine the Dakota’s into one State and then bring in the state of “Columbia” and voila, 50 States. You’re welcome!!
ReplyJoe Manchin should be supporting this. Didn’t he pen a dumb op-ed about how the Founding Fathers wanted small states to have a voice and that’s why every state gets two Senators? And, for unstated reasons, those small states _also_ need a filibuster on top of that? If Manchin is logically consistent, it sure seems clear that D.C. needs to have a voice and that this should be a worthy cause where the filibuster should not apply. If, in Manchin’s mind, the filibuster is indeed there to give small states a voice, it would be contrary to this principle to use the filibuster to deny a small would-be state a voice! I’d sure be interested if Manchin has some killer logic that shows otherwise.
ReplyDemocrats need to understand that this would be a hugely political move, for either Puerto Rico or DC, since it’s obvious to all that either one of those would vote Democrat and would therefore shift the balance of power in the Senate. For this reason Republicans will be willing on this issue as well as several others to go to war with us if need be, literal Civil War. Does anybody actually imagine that Republicans love their guns so much because it’s a fun hobby? No one should pretend like all this is just a logical thing, giving statehood to DC or Puerto Rico, and pretend that it’s about to happen. Logic has nothing to do with it, the war between left and right has everything to do with it.
ReplyWe should also look at the wishes of other U.S. territories for statehood and/or representation (think Guam, Marshall Islands, Puerto Rico, etc.).
Replyas a flagg i abide this message
ReplyTexan gained a senate seat and NY lost a seat because the blurst census
ReplyThumbs up hopes for a Senate win.
ReplyOh nice precedent to set, now any medium size city can be its own state.
ReplyLooks like leftists no longer have the votes to destroy our democratic process.
ReplyEither make Puerto Rico & DC a state or don’t collect taxes…No taxation without representation!!!
ReplyWashington D.C. has no House Representatives and no Senators because congress members from other states are blocking it. They fear losing influence. And, not this, D.C.’s population is black by majority. There are some people who don’t want to share power with a new state that has a black majority. As usual in the US, almost all conflicts stem from racism. It’s that simple.
ReplyPuerto Rico too!
ReplyYou guys know Republicans still exist right but there’s literally no way that they’re going to let that happen and you need 60 votes to make it happen. DC is full of black people like big time and there’s no way they’re going to let that happen so I don’t even know what you’re talking about there’s no way you can get it through
ReplyDc statehood is about giving Democrats two more senators, nothing more nothing less. It doesn’t deserve to be our nation’s capital much less a state.
ReplyI think it’s more important that Puerto Rico became a state. I think a fair argument could be made that the residential areas of DC should simply be absorbed into Virginia or Maryland.
ReplyOur QUEEN.
ReplySomeone tell me why Joe Manchin is a democrat because I still don’t see it
ReplyIf you approve of Puerto Rico becoming a state at the same time the. There will be 52 states. That should enable an acceptable pattern on Old Glory.
ReplyNow do Puerto Rico, South Virginia, Marianas, and American Samoa!
ReplyMy biggest problem: they can’t go around calling themselves “Washingtonians.” That’s taken.
ReplyFind your own name, DC-ians.