Hoyer: It Is Inexcusable That Senate Republicans Refused to Treat DC as a State in Latest Coronavirus Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on the treatment of the District of Columbia as a territory in the Senate-passed bill to respond to the coronavirus pandemic:
"It is inexcusable that Senator McConnell and Senate Republicans refused to treat the District of Columbia as a state in the third package to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. By categorizing the District as a territory, Senate Republicans are shortchanging residents by hundreds of millions of dollars in critical funding to fight the pandemic. This hurts not only the residents of the District, but our entire region as we battle this growing public health crisis.
"This is the latest example of why we must grant DC statehood. The nearly 700,000 residents who call DC home pay federal taxes and deserve the same resources as their fellow citizens in neighboring states. This failure to treat DC as a state must be fixed retroactively in the next bill to respond to the coronavirus. I will continue to work to ensure residents of DC and the greater region receive the resources they need to fight this public health crisis."