An identical statehood bill passed the House in 2020, but it quickly died in the then Republican-controlled Senate. Now, with the 2020 elections leaving Democrats in control of both chambers and the White House, Republican senators may resort to a filibuster to stymie the statehood bill. For lifelong statehood proponents like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s long-serving and nonvoting delegate in the House, Thursday’s vote was a culmination of a life’s work. “My service in the Congress has been dedicated to achieving equality for the people I represent, which only statehood can provide,” Ms Norton said at a Wednesday news conference. “My life as a third-generation Washingtonian has marched towards this milestone.”