The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday advanced legislation to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, marking the first vote in Congress in nearly 30 years to grant full congressional representation for residents of the nation's capital.

The panel approved the bill in a 21-16 party-line vote. The measure is expected to hit the House floor in the coming months.

The vote marked a major victory for the District’s non-voting delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton Eleanor Holmes NortonShakespeare Theatre Company goes virtual for 'Will on the Hill...or Won't They?' DeJoy defends Postal Service changes at combative House hearing DC delegate highlights effects of Postal Service quagmire on community MORE, who has pushed for statehood since she began serving in Congress in 1991.

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“Congress has two choices: It can continue to exercise undemocratic authority over 700,000 American citizens who live in the nation's capital, treating them in the words of Frederick Douglass, as ‘aliens, not citizens, but subjects.’ Or it can live up to the nation's promise and ideals,” Norton said.

Proponents of D.C. statehood note that the city has more residents than two states — Vermont and Wyoming — and that Census Bureau estimates show about 46 percent of the District’s roughly 706,000 residents are African American.

After the panel approved the bill, Norton enthusiastically high-fived House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney Carolyn Bosher MaloneyHouse panel advances bill to ban Postal Service leaders from holding political positions Shakespeare Theatre Company goes virtual for 'Will on the Hill...or Won't They?' DHS IG won't investigate after watchdog said Wolf, Cuccinelli appointments violated law MORE (D-N.Y.).

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Steny Hamilton HoyerHouse Democrats postpone vote on marijuana decriminalization bill Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep MORE (D-Md.) has pledged to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote. And unlike the last time the House considered D.C. statehood, in 1993, the bill is expected to pass with widespread Democratic support.

Norton’s bill has 223 co-sponsors, more than the minimum of 218 needed to pass legislation in the House. She reached the 218 threshold in September around the same time the Oversight Committee held its first hearing on the issue since 1993.

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“It is in the Democratic platform of our party, but much more importantly than that, it is the constitutional right of a citizen of America to have a vote. And just because they move to their nation’s capital that vote should not be taken away from them,” Hoyer said Tuesday.

Democrats’ embrace of D.C. statehood is a major shift from the last time the issue hit the House floor in 1993, when the party also controlled the chamber. At that time, the Democrat-controlled House rejected Norton’s statehood bill on a vote of 153-277.

Democrats were split on D.C. statehood in 1993, with 151 voting in favor of Norton’s bill at the time while 105 opposed it. Only one Republican voted for the bill.

Norton’s bill would grant D.C. representation in Congress with two senators and at least one House member.

Currently, Norton can vote at the committee level — as she did for her bill on Tuesday -— but she cannot cast votes on the House floor.

Her bill would maintain the District of Columbia as the seat of the federal government, but limit it to the areas where the Capitol, White House, Supreme Court and other federal buildings near the National Mall are located.

The legislation is likely to be a hard sell in the GOP-controlled Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt MORE (R-Ky.) has previously expressed opposition to granting statehood to the District, which would presumably elect more Democrats to Congress.

The District tends to vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden MORE carried 91 percent of the vote in 2016 over President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE’s 4 percent.

Republicans offered a series of amendments during Tuesday’s markup, including one that would require a constitutional amendment in order to make the District of Columbia a state.

They also pointed to the District’s long history of political scandal, most recently with Jack Evans resigning from the city council last month on the eve of an expulsion vote over a string of ethics violations. Evans filed to run for his old seat just days later.

“It's not about which party senators may or may not come from if the District of Columbia were a state. It's about the Constitution. It's always what it's been about,” said Rep. Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanHouse passes resolution condemning anti-Asian discrimination relating to coronavirus Republicans call for Judiciary hearing into unrest in cities run by Democrats Trump, GOP seek to rebut Democratic narrative on night one MORE (R-Ohio) as he noted the Constitution calls for Congress to have authority over the district serving as the seat of the federal government.

“The bill puts the new federal enclave entirely within and subject to the influence of the new state,” he added.

The House passed legislation last year endorsing the idea of D.C. statehood without formally establishing the District as a state.

Democrats’ overarching voting rights and anti-corruption bill, which passed along party lines shortly after they took over the House majority, includes a provision stating that “District of Columbia residents deserve full congressional voting rights and self-government, which only statehood can provide."