Ted Cruz exposes Democrats' motive for supporting DC statehood, explains why new vote meant nothing

House Democrats approved legislation on Friday that would grant statehood to Washington, D.C. The vote largely fell along party lines — only one Democrat opposed the bill — and it is doomed to fail in the Republican-controlled Senate.

D.C. residents have long sought official voting representation in Congress. However, Friday's vote was the first time any such measure found success in either chamber of Congress. Currently, residents in the nation's capital are represented only by a delegate — Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton — and are allotted three Electoral College votes via the 23rd Amendment.

After Friday's vote, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) exposed why Democrats are strongly pushing for D.C. statehood.

According to Cruz, Democrats only support D.C. statehood because it would help them further their political agenda by giving them two additional senators. If D.C. were allotted statehood, they would almost certainly elect two Democratic senators, considering the city is notoriously Democratic; in fact, in the modern era, the city has only elected Democratic mayors.

Plus, Cruz explained, Friday's Democratic-pushed legislation fails on its face because D.C. statehood requires a constitutional amendment.

"The House bill fails bc DC statehood requires a constl amendment," Cruz explained. "Just politics: every Dem supports bc you want 2 more Dem senators."

Cruz also rebutted Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), explaining that D.C. statehood may be bad news for his political career if Virginia had to return Arlington — the northern Virginia city that borders D.C. — to the nation's capital. Arlington is a heavily Democratic city, and was once a part of D.C.

"Am curious, would you still support if VA had to give Arlington back to DC? W/o northern VA, Virginia would likely return to 2 GOP senators...." Cruz tweeted.