Grothman Statement Dc Statehood

Press Release

Today, Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) released the following statement after voting no on H.R. 51, the Washington, DC Admission Act, which would make Washington, DC the 51st state. The following statement is based on Grothman's April 22 speech during floor debate of H.R. 51.

"DC statehood is a ridiculous idea that would have shocked our forefathers," said Grothman. "It's a government city with minimal agriculture, manufacturing, and natural resources. With all its government jobs, it is a recession-proof city and should be one of the easiest in the nation to govern. But, how are they actually doing? Despite spending more money per pupil than any state except New York, The Nation's Report Card indicated that Washington, DC tied for last in fourth grade reading scores, last in fourth grade writing scores, and last in eight grade reading, writing, and math scores.

"There are also more homeless individuals in Washington, DC than 29 states. Of cities with at least 250,000 people, the city has the sixth highest murder rate, which means that if the city was to become a state then it would immediately become the state with the highest murder rate in the country.

"This is a government city that would do a horrible job as a state."

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