Rep. Carolyn Maloney: D.C. Statehood Is Living up to the Constitution’s Goals

Maloney The committee will ░░░░░░░░ to order Without objection ░░░░░░░░ chair is authorized to ░░░░░░░░ a recess of the ░░░░░░░░ at any time I ░░░░░░░░ recognize myself for an ░░░░░░░░ statement Last Congress I ░░░░░░░░ proud to preside over ░░░░░░░░ first markup of legislation ░░░░░░░░ grant D C statehood ░░░░░░░░ 1993 And for the ░░░░░░░░ time ever the House ░░░░░░░░ legislation in 2020 that ░░░░░░░░ have made D C ░░░░░░░░ state but the Republican ░░░░░░░░ Senate refused to even ░░░░░░░░ a hearing or consider ░░░░░░░░ bill Even though we ░░░░░░░░ only a few months ░░░░░░░░ the new Congress H ░░░░░░░░ 51 already has 215 ░░░░░░░░ After years of stagnation ░░░░░░░░ indifference to the rights ░░░░░░░░ thousands of D C ░░░░░░░░ there is real and ░░░░░░░░ momentum behind this effort ░░░░░░░░ legislation would fulfill the ░░░░░░░░ of democracy for more ░░░░░░░░ 712 000 Americans who ░░░░░░░░ Washington D C their ░░░░░░░░ D C residents are ░░░░░░░░ citizens They fight honorably ░░░░░░░░ protect our nation they ░░░░░░░░ taxes in fact D ░░░░░░░░ pays more in federal ░░░░░░░░ than 22 states and ░░░░░░░░ per capita than any ░░░░░░░░ in our nation D ░░░░░░░░ residents have all the ░░░░░░░░ of citizenship but they ░░░░░░░░ no congressional voting rights ░░░░░░░░ only limited self government ░░░░░░░░ fundamental disparities for hundreds ░░░░░░░░ thousands of Americans conflict ░░░░░░░░ the core principles of ░░░░░░░░ republic Our country was ░░░░░░░░ on the belief that ░░░░░░░░ people should be subjected ░░░░░░░░ taxation without representation or ░░░░░░░░ governed without the consent ░░░░░░░░ the governed Representative government ░░░░░░░░ functions properly when all ░░░░░░░░ have a voice in ░░░░░░░░ laws that govern them ░░░░░░░░ honorable colleague Congresswoman Norton ░░░░░░░░ her constituents exceptionally well ░░░░░░░░ is denied the opportunity ░░░░░░░░ vote on the very ░░░░░░░░ that her constituents must ░░░░░░░░ Congress has the responsibility ░░░░░░░░ live up to the ░░░░░░░░ s goals Statehood will ░░░░░░░░ grant D C residents ░░░░░░░░ and equal democratic rights.”