Washington, D.C. Admission Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, D.C. statehood is a ridiculous idea, which would have shocked our forefathers. It is a government city. It has no--or minimum manufacturing, agriculture or natural resources. With all its government jobs and universities, it is a recession-proof city and should be one of the easiest cities in the Nation to govern.

Let's see how the current elected officials are doing.

This is the second highest spending area in the country per pupil.

How do they do?

Tied for worst in fourth grade reading scores, worst in the country in eighth grade reading scores, worst in the country in fourth grade writing scores, worst in the country in eighth grade writing scores, and second worst in the country in eighth grade math.

They have more homeless here than 29 States. Of the cities with at least 600,000 people, it has the sixth highest murder rate. And if it were to become a State, it would immediately become the State with the highest murder rate in the country.

Right now, by comparison, only 49 percent of the parents of newborn children in the District of Columbia are married. By comparison, again, the great foreign capital, Taipei, 96 percent of the parents are married.

This is a government city, and it would do a horrible job as a State.

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