Washington, D.C. Admission Act
Floor Speech
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1017, I call up the bill (H.R. 51) to provide for the admission of the State of Washington, D.C. into the Union, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Ms. NORTON. 51.
Mr. Speaker, the United States is the only democratic country that denies both voting rights in its national legislature and local autonomy to the residents of its nation's capital.
As we approach July Fourth, it is long past time to apply the Nation's oldest slogan, ``no taxation without representation,'' and the principle of consent of the governed to District of Columbia residents. H.R. 51 would do so, and Congress has both the moral obligation and the constitutional authority to pass the bill.
H.R. 51 would admit the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth into the Union and reduce the size of the Federal District. The State would consist of 66 of the 68 square miles of the present-day Federal District.
The reduced Federal District, over which Congress would retain plenary authority, would consist of 2 square miles. The reduced Federal District would consist of the Washington that Members of Congress and visitors associate with the Nation's Capital, including the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the principal Federal monuments.
H.R. 51 has both the facts and the Constitution on its side. The Constitution does not establish any prerequisites for new States, but Congress generally has considered three factors in admission decisions: resources and population, support for statehood, and commitment to democracy.
The District pays more Federal taxes per capita than any State and pays more Federal taxes than 22 States of the Union. The District's population of 705,000 is larger than those of Wyoming and Vermont, and the new State would be one of the seven States with a population under 1 million.
D.C.'s $15.5 billion budget is larger than those of 12 States, and the District's AAA bond rating is higher than those of 35 States. D.C. has a higher per capita personal income and gross domestic product than any State.
Eighty-six percent of D.C. residents voted in favor of statehood in 2016. In fact, D.C. residents have been fighting for voting rights in Congress and local autonomy for 219 years.
The Constitution's Admissions Clause gives Congress the authority to admit new States, and all 37 new States have been admitted by an act of Congress. The Constitution's District Clause, which gives Congress plenary authority over the Federal District, sets a maximum size of the Federal District of 100 square miles. It does not set a minimum size. Congress previously has changed the size of the Federal District, including by reducing it 30 percent in 1846.
Over the last few months, the Nation, and even the world, has witnessed discriminatory and outrageous treatment of D.C. residents by the Federal Government.
In March, Congress passed the CARES Act, which deprived the District of $755 million in coronavirus fiscal relief by treating the District as a territory rather than a State. The HEROES Act, passed by the House in May, would restore those funds.
This month, Federal police and out-of-State National Guard troops occupied D.C., without the consent of the D.C. Mayor, to respond to largely peaceful protests. Prior to this occupation of the city, there had been much more looting and property destruction in other cities, but the Federal Government did not occupy those cities. The Federal occupation occurred solely because the President thought that he could get away with it. He was wrong.
For me, H.R. 51 is deeply personal. My great-grandfather, Richard Holmes, who escaped as a slave from Virginia on a plantation, made it as far as D.C., a walk to freedom but not to equal citizenship. For three generations, my family has been denied the rights other Americans take for granted.
Congress has two choices: It can continue to exercise undemocratic or autocratic authority over the 705,000 American citizens who reside in our Nation's capital, treating them, in the words of Frederick Douglass, as ``aliens; not citizens, but subjects''; or Congress can live up to this Nation's promise and ideals and pass H.R. 51.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and the late Elijah Cummings, our millions of allies across the country, and, most importantly, generations of D.C. residents and officials who have refused to simply accept their treatment as second- class citizens for bringing us to this historic day.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judciary, Washington, DC, June 18, 2020. Hon. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairwoman Maloney: This is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 5803, the ``Washington, D.C. Admission Act,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions. 5803, with the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject matters.
In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference.
Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Reform, Washington, DC, June 22, 2020. Hon. Jerrold Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 5803, the Washington D.C. Admission Act. As you know, the bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with an additional referral to the Committee on the Judiciary.
I thank you for allowing the Committee on the Judiciary to be discharged from further consideration of the bill to expedite floor consideration. This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee on the Judiciary represented on the conference committee.
I would be pleased to include this letter and your correspondence in the Congressional Record during floor consideration to memorialize our understanding. Sincerely, Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, June 19, 2020. Hon. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight and Reform, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairwoman Maloney: I write concerning H.R. 5803, the ``Washington, D.C. Admission Act,'' which was additionally referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce (Committee). There are certain provisions in the legislation which concern the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage for a newly admitted state and fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In recognition of the desire to expedite consideration of H.R. 5803, the Committee agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as to such provisions. The Committee takes this action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues within our jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to name Members of the Committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provision. Such participation will be critical to allow the Committee to continue to work on the policy involving the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage for a newly admitted state.
Finally, I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter into the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 5803. Sincerely, Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Reform, Washington, DC, June 22, 2020. Hon. Frank Pallone, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 5803, the Washington D.C. Admission Act. As you know, the bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with an additional referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, due to provisions in the legislation which concern the Medicaid federal medical assistance percentage for a newly admitted state.
I thank you for allowing the Committee on Energy and Commerce to be discharged from further consideration of the bill to expedite floor consideration. This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee on Energy and Commerce represented on the conference committee.
I would be pleased to include this letter and your correspondence in the Congressional Record during floor consideration to memorialize our understanding. Sincerely, Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman.
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Ms. NORTON. Maloney), chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and I thank her for the way she conducted hearings on H.R. 51.
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that the gentleman's amendment to cede the District of Columbia back to Maryland did not have the consent of Maryland.
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Ms. NORTON. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, the last thing we have to be concerned about is whether or not the 23rd Amendment will be repealed, and the bill, H.R. 51, contains an expedited procedure for that.
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland State (Mr. Sarbanes), my good friend, that ceded land in perpetuity out of which the District of Columbia was formed.
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I say to the gentleman, paying Federal taxes, that says everything about the desire of citizens of Washington, D.C. to be equal, that we are quite willing to continue to pay Federal income tax.
And I appreciate his amendment. We have rejected his amendment because we want to be full citizens. That means paying our share.
Plaskett), my good friend.
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, important to note that Maryland permanently ceded the land that now is part of the District of Columbia. You can't get back what you permanently ceded.
And it is important to note that we have had several Members from Maryland speak.
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.
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Ms. NORTON. Waters), my friend and the chair of the Financial Services Committee.
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Ms. NORTON. Stevens).
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.
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Ms. NORTON. Jackson Lee).
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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
This bill allows our country to live up to its claim to be a democracy. We stand out as the only democracy which denies democracy to the residents of its own Capital City.
Our claim to world leadership is marred until, with this bill, the residents of our Capital are equal in citizenship to the citizens of every Member of the House of Representatives.
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