Tuesday is Flag Day, which commemorates when the United States adopted the flag on June 14, 1777. Muriel Bowser, though, D.C.'s Democratic mayor, had a particularly noteworthy way of celebrating the day. In several tweets and retweets from her campaign account, Bowser once more called for DC Statehood.
Flag Day is a good reminder that no American loses anything by adding a star.
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) June 14, 2022
700,000 DC residents would gain full citizenship.#DCStatehood now!
Share your pics today of your 51 star flag or DC flag with #DCStatehood pic.twitter.com/uvRCCIlIlZ
The 700,000 people in DC fulfill all obligations of citizenship yet are denied its most fundamental rights: equitable voting rights in our democracy. My family & all the people in DC deserve #DCStatehood. #DCFlagDay #FlagDay pic.twitter.com/0eAXTErDGs
— Josh Burch (@JBurchDC) June 14, 2022
Bowser also tweeted out coverage from Paul Farrell with the Daily Mail about her ordering that flags with 51 stars being displayed alongside Pennsylvania Avenue, which includes a statement from the mayor:
In a statement, Bowser said: 'Today, ahead of Flag Day, I directed our team to hang 51-star flags along Pennsylvania Avenue as a reminder to Congress and the nation that the 700,000 tax-paying American citizens living in Washington, DC demand to be recognized.'
The mayor continued: 'On Flag Day, we celebrate American ideals, American history, and American liberty. But the very foundation of those ideals, and the basis for our liberty, is representation. DC’s disenfranchisement is a stain on American democracy – a 220-year-old wrong that demands to be righted.'
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Mayor Bowser concluded her statement on 51 star flags saying: 'We are at an inflection point for American democracy, and it is within the Senate’s power to do the right thing, embrace representation, and move DC statehood forward to the President’s desk.'
Farrell notes that Bowser also recently renewed her call for DC statehood while speaking at the March for Our Lives event in Washington, D.C., held the same day as the Pride parade, which Bowser also tweeted support for. Bowser used her speech to reiterate her support for gun control and abortion in the face of the U.S. Supreme Court looking to overturn Roe v. Wade. In addition to just six states, DC allows for abortion without gestational limit.
I couldn’t be more proud to be the mayor of
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) June 11, 2022
??????my hometown
??????the gayest city in the world
??????soon to be the 51st State#loveislove pic.twitter.com/Qh7GIVoXag
Happy Pride from my hometown, the best city in the world and soon to be the #51stState #loveislove #Pride2022 pic.twitter.com/6VTPGWNAkI
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) June 12, 2022
The Democratically-controlled U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation to grant DC statehood before, though Farrell acknowledges it's not likely to pass the U.S. Senate, where Democrats do not have a filibuster-proof majority.
Farrell seeks to address reasons to oppose DC statehood, offering "Republicans have long been opposed to DC statehood - because it would likely offer two more Senate seats and a potential power swing to Democrats."
It's not just Republicans saying so, but rather Democrats, such as Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) have admitted they need to figure out how to expand their power. "The Senate has become a major impediment to social progress for the country," he lamented. That pesky filibuster just keeps getting in the way.
And, as Matt pointed out in May of last year, it's not just Republicans who are opposed either, since Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is opposed and recommends a constitutional amendment. Constitutional concerns also abound, as the legislative branch cannot alter the district's status. Numerous articles and columns for Townhall have addressed this before.
Mayor Bowser is facing a primary challenge from three fellow Democrats. DC residents go to the polls next Tuesday.