Washington DC

"Over the course of U.S. history, we've added 37 states," said one expert who pushed back against the senator's position. "Not a single one required a constitutional amendment."

"I won't accept piecemeal bills that exclude and criminalize my own community members," said organizer Hector Morales. "We need permanent protection for all."

"We cannot let a procedural tool that can be abolished stand in the way of justice, prosperity, and equity. We simply cannot afford such a catastrophic compromise."

When the House voted on the issue in 1993, a majority of Democrats joined the Republicans in rejecting the bill. 

"We can no longer afford any further fossil fuel extraction, infrastructure, or false climate solutions that continue to prioritize profits over people."

The statement of administration policy marked the first time the executive branch has backed statehood for Washington, D.C.

"This keeps happening and it simply needs to stop," said a demonstrator in Chicago, where an officer shot a 13-year-old who had his hands up.

"The more than 700,000 residents of the District of Columbia moved one step closer to having equal representation in our government and power over the laws that govern them."

The Capitol has been on high alert since the January 6 attack by a mob of Trump supporters.