To the editor:

Regarding legislation shrinking Washington, D.C., to a handful of federal buildings and creating a 51st state from the remaining area, Democrats are using an unconstitutional scheme to rig congressional elections and gain two additional U.S. senators from a constituency which voted 92% for Biden.

Granting statehood violates the U.S. Constitution’s Article IV, Section 3, which says that any new state created from the territory of an existing state requires that state’s permission to come into existence. Since D.C. was created from Maryland, a change in its status also requires Maryland’s permission, which hasn’t happened.

Also, Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution makes the entire existing U.S. capital a district directly under Congress’s control. It says that Congress shall have the power “To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States.”

Finally, D.C. statehood violates the 23rd Amendment, which, in allowing D.C. three electoral votes, recognized D.C. as a small existing seat of government, and thus a constitutional amendment is required to change the existing capital’s status in any way.

Because America is a federal and constitutional republic, not a democracy, the Founders recognized the importance of a capital beyond the confines or influence of any state. Thus, D.C. cannot be located within the new state.

If the Senate doesn’t stop statehood, the Supreme Court must.

Robert Dufresne

Rensselaer