Sen. Thomas Carper, the author of his chamber’s D.C. statehood bill, announced Thursday the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing on his legislation on June 22.
Carper, Delaware Democrat, revealed the hearing date at the monthly meeting of the D.C. Democratic State Committee.
Carper said former Sen. Joe Lieberman, who spearheaded pro-D.C. legislation and was a candidate for vice president in 2000 before retiring from politics, will testify on behalf of the statehood bill.
D.C. Democratic Chairman Charles Wilson praised the development.
“The D.C. Democratic Party thanks Senator Carper for his tireless work to advance D.C. statehood through the U.S. Senate,” Wilson said in a statement. “We are closer than ever before in making D.C. statehood a reality.”