Democratic Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered Monday that altered American flags be flown along Pennsylvania Avenue in protest of lack of Congressional representation.
Bowser made the announcement ahead of Tuesday, which marks the 106th Flag Day.
“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,” Bowser said in a statement Monday. “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.”
This #FlagDay, 51-star flags along Pennsylvania Ave will serve as a reminder to Congress and the nation that the 700,000 tax-paying American citizens living in DC demand to be recognized.
The Senate must do the right thing, embrace representation & send #DCStatehood to @POTUS.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 13, 2022
“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,” Bowser continued. (RELATED: Biden Admin Announces ‘Strong Support’ For DC Statehood Bill, Says 51st State ‘Long Overdue’)
An unaltered flag has 50 stars to represent each state. Statehood for the District of Columbia has been a source of contention among lawmakers as D.C. argues its residents deserve representation. Democrats passed the “DC Admission Act” in April that would allow D.C. to become the 51st state. Republicans, however, argue that because D.C., is established as per Article 1, Sec. 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution, any changes to the district’s status must be made in the form of a Constitutional amendment.
Republicans also argue that by granting D.C. statehood, Democrats would add two Democratic Senators to Congress along with one representative.
“The Democrats’ D.C. statehood scheme is about two things: consolidating power and enacting radical policies,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in April 2021. “The American people see right through this blatant power grab.”