WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) today blasted House passage of H.R. 51, which would grant the District of Columbia statehood without a constitutional amendment:

“H.R. 51 will take the swamp’s radicalism from coast-to-coast. This bill is yet another power grab by Speaker Pelosi to ram a radical agenda rejected by the American people through Congress. Democrats are pushing D.C. statehood to pack the U.S. Senate with two progressive senators so they can end the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, enact the Green New Deal, and create the socialist utopia the Squad dreams about.

“But H.R. 51 has bigger problems—it’s flatly unconstitutional. A constitutional amendment is required to grant statehood to the District of Columbia and the Justice Department has been consistent on this point for 60 years. Even if H.R. 51 squeaks by the Senate, it won’t withstand judicial scrutiny, but it will cause massive confusion for years as it’s reviewed by the courts. The Senate must oppose this unconstitutional bill and put an end to the progressive pipedream.”