Sen. Tom Cotton rails against D.C. statehood bill, says Dems are trying to commit 'historical vandalism'

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) took to the Senate floor on Thursday to rail against a bill that would grant Washington, D.C. statehood, claiming its passage would be "an act of historical vandalism."

While speaking against the bill, Cotton labeled it as an attempt by Democrats to turn Washington's federal district into "little more than a gerrymandered government theme park" surrounded by a Democrat-controlled state.

The bill, which is set for a House vote on Friday, would denote much of the current district as the nation's 51st state, giving its residents elected representation in both houses of Congress. It would also preserve a capital district composed of federal buildings, which would be separate from the state.

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While making his case against statehood, Cotton claimed Washington lacked the type of job diversity found in other, less-populous states, pointing to Wyoming as being "a well-rounded working-class state," despite having a much smaller population.

The senator also questioned whether Washington's current leadership could be trusted in a gubernatorial role, singling out Mayor Muriel Bowser and former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, both of whom are Black, which raised more than a few eyebrows. Marianne Dodson