Must see video: John Oliver on DC statehood

John Oliver on Last Week Tonight, discussed the lack of representation of citizens of the District of Columbia. Oliver said, “It seems that Congress just forces riders on D.C. whenever they disapprove of how they’re spending their own money”.

The segment gives a brief rundown of D.C.’s political history (yes, residents couldn’t vote in presidential elections until 1964), as well as clips of lawmakers giving a variety of excuses as to why D.C. should just be content with the way things are now. Well, the song didn’t so much add Washington, D.C.in with the other states as it did point out how much it gets shafted by not being a full-fledged state.

While the District does have a representative in Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, she wields what Oliver called “pretend power, like a child watching Dora the Explorer, ” due to the fact that she can’t vote on the House floor.

That controversial addition sought to repeal all of D.C.’s gun control laws, further illustrating the uphill battle that is granting D.C. statehood.

“The only time trading away D.C. abortion would be acceptable is if “D.C. Abortion” is a rare 1950s comic book and you are getting “Marvel’s The wonderful Mammogram” in return”, Oliver asserted.

He continued: “And if you think, ‘Well, isn’t this how countries treat their capital cities?’ It actually isn’t”.

These are the hard-hitting questions John Oliver’s asking on this week’s episode of “Last Week Tonight“.