Higher bar for statehood: supermajority vote could block new states
H.J.Res. 99 — Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to provide that new States may be admitted to the United States upon a concurrence of two thirds of each house of Congress. · Filed by Tom McClintock (R-CA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 6, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would lower the threshold for admitting new states to the Union from a simple majority to a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers of Congress. Currently, Article IV of the Constitution allows Congress to admit new states by simple majority vote; this amendment would make that process harder by requiring a two-thirds supermajority in each house.
Why we flagged it
This is a straightforward constitutional amendment proposal that modifies the statehood admission threshold. It is not a statute, appropriation, or rider—it is a formal proposal to amend the Constitution itself, which requires ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures to take effect.
What the text implies
- Raises the admission threshold from 50% to 67% of each chamber, effectively giving a coalition of 34 senators or 145 representatives veto power over statehood—a significant shift in gatekeeping authority.
- May disproportionately affect U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, D.C., Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands) whose residents lack voting representation in Congress, as the higher threshold makes their path to statehood and voting representation more difficult.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The amendment raises the procedural bar for statehood, which could block admission of territories seeking self-determination (a democratic cost to those populations) but also preserves existing states' relative power in the Senate and House. The net effect depends on which territories might seek admission and whether one views statehood as a democratic right or a discretionary privilege.