Peter Welch actually said...

The Twenty-Third Amendment of the Constitution allows D.C. to participate in Presidential elections.

Congress and the states would not want the few residents of the reduced D.C. to have so much power over the election of the president.

If enacted, H.R. 51 would admit the state of Washington D.C. but leave the Twenty-Third Amendment in place.

Thank you for all your years of leadership on this, Madam Chair. You have been an inspiration for us.