51st state

[dbelcher269]

So with all the talk before the election who all thinks there will be a 51st and 52nd state added to the Union in the next few years?

[sir shovelhands]

I assume you mean DC and Puerto Rico? If I recall correctly it takes only a simple majority in congress to approve statehood, so it's within the democrat's power. Who knows whether they'll push it.

[12RingKing]

It will be a point of contention in Harris’s second term.

[OldRiverRat]

The question is why wouldn’t they do it?


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[sir shovelhands]

The question is why wouldn’t they do it?


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I can't imagine it's not tempting, assuming it would give them 4 senate seats. The only obstacle I can see is senators from small population democratic states not wanting their power diluted (like Hawaii, NH, RI). All they need is one dissent, at least in the first two years of this admin, to keep it from happening.

[Landrover]

I will take a non political direction on the world's oldest colony circa 1898. I consider that Puerto Ricans and DC residents have fought in wars to defend this country and pay taxes. Kinda odd they don't fully participate in the process. Yes , it is a simple majority vote to change [emoji1202] this flag to an American flag.

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[Razorback1948]

Looks like it would take 2/3 majority in both the senate and house so maybe we are safe for a while??


The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives would need to approve the statehood admission by a two-thirds majority vote [source: The Week]. For some perspective, let's look at where the other 50 states came from, and how the United States grew from 13 coastal colonies to the world's third-largest country.

[dbelcher269]

Not saying its good or bad just more curious on what people THINK will happen. I can certainly see both sides of an argument, especially for Puerto Rico. Who knows, there is still Guam, The U.S. Virgin islands, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Could be a lot of change, but who's to say any of these places would want or take statehood.

[Razorback1948]

When I do a Google search on what vote is needed for statehood, I get 2 different answers...

"The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives would need to approve the statehood admission by a two-thirds majority vote [source: The Week]."

and then...

"The U.S. Congress—both House and Senate—pass, by a simple majority vote, a joint resolution accepting the territory as a state. The President of the United States signs the joint resolution and the territory is acknowledged as a U.S. state. The process of attaining statehood can literally take decades."

Wonder which it is???

[sir shovelhands]

When I do a Google search on what vote is needed for statehood, I get 2 different answers...

"The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives would need to approve the statehood admission by a two-thirds majority vote [source: The Week]."

and then...

"The U.S. Congress—both House and Senate—pass, by a simple majority vote, a joint resolution accepting the territory as a state. The President of the United States signs the joint resolution and the territory is acknowledged as a U.S. state. The process of attaining statehood can literally take decades."

Wonder which it is???

The admissions clause of the constitution doesn't specify a 2/3rds vote, so a joint resolution from the house/senate is all that's needed, which should only require a simple majority.

[4wheels]

lets add Mexico as a state.

[twistedmidnite]

lets add Mexico as a state.

Lol, I was thinking north korea.