The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing this summer on a proposal to grant statehood to Washington, DC, reportedly the first House hearing in more than 25 years on the long-shot bid to transform the federal district into the nation's 51st state.
In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the island territory of Puerto Rico is making a new push to become a state within the next three years.
Could Puerto Rico become the 51st US state? That's the question of the day after Puerto Ricans voted overwhelmingly for statehood during a nonbinding weekend referendum. There are a few catches, though: Only 23% of eligible citizens voted, and, well, there's plenty of red tape on the way to becoming a state. Here are the basics:
Puerto Rico on Sunday overwhelmingly voted for statehood. But Congress, the only body that can approve new states, will ultimately decide whether the status of the US commonwealth changes.
