All Americans Are Created Equal: The Fight for Statehood

One day, an American child visits with their parents to the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C. When they arrive, the parents are amazed at how all of the marble and granite used could have produced such elegant buildings from a century or two ago. Meanwhile, the child is staring at something peculiar. They look at the license plates of cars registered in D.C., and they say “taxation without representation.” The child learned that in colonial America, many used the phrase to rebel against the British.

The child will learn in the future, though, is that while Washington D.C. pays federal taxes, it is not part of the 50 U.S. States. Washington is not the only territory to not have Statehood status, but it is the most recognizable. Other major territories include American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. These territories have shadow Representatives and Senators in Congress, but they cannot vote on bills or participate in committees. This notion seems absurd. All Americans should have the right to a faithful public servant in Congress, yet for the millions of Americans outside of the 50 States, they do not. Now is the time for Washington D.C. to become a State and for every significant territory to have Statehood.

Discerning Territories and States

Every citizen who lives in the U.S., no matter if they are from a State or Territory, is given the same rights provided in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. A territory, though, is otherwise treated much differently. States pay Federal taxes, which then gives them access to at least three Congressional Representatives, substantial Federal funding, access to Federal programs like Medicaid, and mass assistance in disasters. These are all rights not afforded to territories, which are essentially off on their own. In Washington D.C., citizens have to pay Federal taxes in exchange for no Government services. That distinction is essential, as almost every major US territory is on an island that receives periodic hurricanes or typhoons. This juxtaposition is on full display during hurricane seasons.

In August of 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall over Galveston, Texas. Sixty-eight individuals died due to the hurricane, which wrecked local economies and communities. Before the storm made landfall, former President Trump coordinated with FEMA, CBP, ICE, and the coast guard to arrange aid after the hurricane hit Texas. Once it did, most Government agencies were already on the ground, ready to help Governor Greg Abbott and those in Harris County. Even though the hurricane came with a price tag of more than $100 billion, many Texans have fully recovered.

Contrast Hurricane Harvey to Hurricane Maria and Irma. Both Hurricanes hit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands within the same period. Like Texas, Puerto Rico knew the hurricane was coming and requested aid. After landfall, it amounted to dozens of billions of dollars in damage. That said, the Federal Government was slow to get FEMA response or the appropriate aid. As a result, both territories are dealing with long-term repercussions. Many schools were destroyed, brain drain started proliferating, the two islands’ citizens became disenfranchised, and the tourism industry declined.

Had Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands been treated as a State, much of the long-lasting catastrophes they see today would not have happened. Before the Hurricanes, both territories were not faring well due to a lack of access to Federal services or enough funding. While the public saw much of the slower response to Puerto Rico than Texas as political, the distinction between territory and state is why 52% of Puerto Ricans want to become a State.

D.C. + Puerto Rico Statehood

Puerto Rico is one of two territories on the shortlist for Statehood. The other is Washington D.C., which has been fighting for Statehood since the Civil Rights Era. Both want to become States. As Americans who fight for “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” territories ought to be included in that phrase.

The U.S.’s economy has a potential for growth through granting Statehood to D.C. and Puerto Rico. If both become States, they can start growing their economies to better themselves and Americans. For Puerto Rico, in particular, the tourism industry can still rebuild with consistent Federal funding. Education can foster new sectors in Puerto Rico, like health and technology. These services establish Puerto Rico as a prominent voice in Congress and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Washington D.C. can continue to grow its economy, especially with indirect contributions to neighboring Virginia. Virginia’s suburbs near D.C. are growing incredibly fast. Fairfax, Spotsylvania, and Stafford County are the primary beneficiaries of D.C.’s growth.

Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico are not the only territories that need benefits from the U.S. Economy. In US Pacific territories, islands heavily depend on Federal grants to keep their community running. Their islands have dying industries that need restructuring. Global warming is also negatively contributing to the decline of the Pacific territory’s economy. Thus, Statehood could give these territories an avenue of representation and reparation.

There are proponents for all of the territories to become States, but many oppose giving Statehood to all major territories. For Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, much of the issues are political since both States are more significant than the nation’s smallest populated state. For other territories, rejecting Statehood makes more sense. The other considerable territories have fewer individuals than Wyoming or Vermont. Consequently, Statehood in those territories is portrayed more as wielding political power than benefitting the territory’s economy.

Political Implications

The fight for Statehood has turned political over the past few years. There is always a political element for granting Statehood. Before the Civil War, Missouri was planning to become the 23rd state. Since Missouri wanted to enter as a slave state, that would have tipped the Senate’s balance, with 24 Slave Senators and 22 Free Senators. Thus, people in Congress made a compromise (sounds like a dream to compromise these days). Congress would induct Maine, a free State, as the 23rd state, while Missouri would be the 24th state. Consequently, the precarious balance between the Slave and the Free States would continue. Ever since the Missouri Compromise, states have always been inducted in pairs.

The most critical contradiction to Statehood for Washington and Puerto Rico is its significance in Presidential, Senatorial, and House Elections. Washington D.C. would receive two Senators and a Representative, who are most likely to stay Democratic for decades. Washington D.C. has never turned Republican, even during the Reagan-era. If Washington D.C. were to become a State, that would amount to two additional Democratic Senators, totaling the Democratic majority to 52 compared to Republican’s 50. That total would allow for the defection of Joe Manchin (D-WV) or another Conservative Democrat. This event gives credibility to the Republican’s fear of political flexing by the Democrats.

Adding Puerto Rico in addition to Washington D.C. is a way to suppress fears by Republicans. While Puerto Rico votes more Democratic than Republican, the individuals in Puerto Rico are more socially conservative, making them open to voting for Republicans. Consequently, inducting Washington and Puerto Rico as a pair could cancel the potential political repercussions, acting similar to how Maine and Missouri were inducted more than a century ago.

Economic Implications

The most recognizable thing that Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and other territories granted Statehood must do is start paying Federal taxes. That is a rule for every single state. For Washington D.C., Federal taxes are not onerous, as they already pay Federal taxes. Consequently, there would be no change other than additional services for D.C., including health and infrastructure. Infrastructure renewal in D.C. could heavily impact people’s commute, shortening their time along the bridges or the dreaded State Highway 295.

For Puerto Rico, the matter of Federal taxes is more challenging. Many Puerto Ricans have lost income sources, which would mean Federal taxes would reduce their low income. In Statehood, what the Government should do is gradually introduce Federal taxes at a slower rate than Federal services. This gradual increase would allow Puerto Ricans to recover from the brutal Hurricane season before paying their share of taxes.

For the rest of Americans, Statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. would not represent a significant shift in the economy. The territories would give the Government more taxes, and in return, the Government grants services and benefits to their area. Thus, the majority of Americans would be unaffected. That said, those who are affected are likely to see an improvement in their lives.

Make Every US Territory a State

One of the most significant merits to the United States is its Representative Democracy. America’s constituents vote for those who can accurately represent them. From there, Representatives and Senators vote on bills based on the voice of their people. This merit is not afforded to territories, even though they are part of the United States.

Imagine voting every other year on a Representative who can only introduce bills on the floor but not vote on their bills. That Representative’s name is Eleanor Holmes Norton (D: DC-AL). Imagine having to wait for weeks to receive substantial assistance after two Hurricanes. That was the brutality Puerto Ricans suffered after Hurricane Maria and Irma. Imagine trying to save up money not to afford a better home but to emigrate to the mainland U.S. Many living in the U.S. territories in the Pacific are leaving their place. These are the perils of living in a territory and not a State in the U.S.

Making all of our territories a State will do more benefits than harm. Giving territories like American Samoa Statehood would get their voices heard in the National landscape. Without calls for action, the problems being faced by territories will never see resolution. Granting Statehood allows Representatives and Senators to resolve issues in forgotten places nationally. That concept is an improvement to every American and the idea that all Americans are created equal and treated equally.

References

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Become 51st State." The Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2016,
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Webber, Tim. "What Does Being a U.S. Territory Mean for Puerto Rico?"
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Corujo, Cristina. "Puerto Rico Votes in Favor of Statehood. But What Does It
Mean for the Island?" ABC News, 8 Nov. 2020, abcnews.go.com/US/
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Berenson, Tessa. "Here's Why Washington D.C. Isn't a State." Time, 15 Apr. 2016,
time.com/4296175/washington-dc-statehood-history/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021.

McCartney, Robert. "Northern Virginia's Economic Growth Risks Leaving Maryland
Suburbs Behind." The Washington Post, 4 Jan. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/
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northern-virginias-economic-growth-risks-leaving-maryland-suburbs-behind/2020/01/
04/9c6e7126-1cf5-11ea-b4c1-fd0d91b60d9e_story.html. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021.

Caves, John P., III. "In the Debate over Statehood for Washington DC, We Also
Need to Consider Representation for US Territories." The Hill, 20 July
2020, thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/
508163-in-granting-dc-statehood-lets-also-remember-the-territories.
Accessed 26 Mar. 2021.

"Missouri Compromise: Primary Documents in American History." Library of
Congress, guides.loc.gov/missouri-compromise. Accessed 26 Mar. 2021.

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