Politics & Government
DC Mayor Invited To Join Democratic Governors Association
The decision by the Democratic Governors Association marks the first time a D.C. government official has been allowed to join the group.
WASHINGTON, DC — The Democratic Governors Association invited D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday to join the organization as a member. The decision marks the first time a government official from D.C. has been allowed to join the group.
The announcement follows last month's vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass D.C. statehood for the second time in history. The measure is now held up in the Senate where Republicans and some Democrats still oppose D.C. statehood.
Last month, a group of the D.C. region's top leaders also formally endorsed D.C. statehood for the first time. The board of directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments unanimously approved a resolution this urging Congress to "establish the state of Washington, D.C. without delay."
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"Mayor Bowser’s historic induction to the Democratic Governors Association proves what 700,000 D.C. residents already know: D.C. deserves statehood and a full-fledged governor,” Stasha Rhodes, campaign manager of 51 for 51, said in a statement.
“Our mayor already shoulders the weighty responsibility of a governor to protect her 700,000 constituents, but lacks the full authority of the governor’s office,” Rhodes said.
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Given federal control of D.C., Bowser could not unilaterally call in the National Guard when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The Pentagon, under control of the Trump administration, delayed sending in the National Guard to protect the Capitol from the attack.
The mayor also does not have full control over COVID-19 vaccine distribution within the District, while Congress, not the mayor or city council, has final say over local laws.
“Her induction into the DGA is an important signal that the Democratic party is fully committed to D.C. statehood — now, Congress needs to act and pass D.C. statehood with 51 votes, thereby enfranchising the 700,000 mostly Black and Brown residents of Washington with a vote in Congress,” Rhodes said.
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