I don't understand the point. I think they should let be how it always has been. I guess if they made it a state it would be the smallest then.
I can see why the people of Washington, DC would want to become a state (so as to garner more federal dollars, for one thing), but it would be a very tiny state and wield a disproportionate amount of power for the number of people in it.
The state of Vermont has an estimate population 650,000 citizens, the District of Columbia has an estimated population of 720,687. How would that make them the smallest State?
I live in VA and understand why they want to become an State, the have no voting rights in Congress, the Federal Government does not treat them well, for example when the Stimulus checks came around, every state got $$, but DC was treated as a TERRITORY and were given just an small portion of the money. They pay taxes like everyone of us, but they have no say on what happens on there streets and they need Federal government permission to do most things that other states take for granted, example after they pass a law for the city, it still needs to be run by Federal government for approval.
So they feel like they are not considered US Citizens and treated as bad as immigrants and they want to be an State, and divide the city from the Federal Buildings and they can get proper Representation on Congress and Senate, just like other states.
I don't mind either way, I am just giving the facts as The District of Columbia sees it, for what I know living in the area.