Commentary On April 22, House Democrats unilaterally approved H.R. 51, which would grant statehood to Washington, D.C. if signed into law. Progressives claim this legislation will strengthen our democracy by enfranchising D.C. residents who currently pay federal taxes but lack representation in Congress like other Americans. However, D.C. is full of corrupt officials and elites with financial ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Making D.C. a state would thus disenfranchise D.C. residents. In fact, it would disenfranchise all Americans through changing the U.S. electorate in a way that benefits Xi Jinping’s totalitarian objectives. The United Front Work Department, the central propaganda organ of the CCP, conducts an aggressive influence operation within our capital that encompasses funding D.C. think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and Center for American Progress to sway public opinion toward Beijing’s policies. Increasingly, members of Congress are realizing that those who tout pro-CCP policies receive rewards while those who …