Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for DC Home Rule Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, and I thank all of the speakers here today for expressing their opinions.

Today, I rise in support of retaining local budget autonomy for the District of Columbia and to express my strong opposition to H.R. 5233, Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for DC Home Rule Act of 2016.

Now, this partisan bill would repeal a District of Columbia referendum that allowed the District to implement its own local budget without affirmative congressional approval.

While this bill passed the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on a party-line vote of 22-14, I would remind this body that the committee's last four chairmen--including Republican Chairmen, Representatives Tom Davis and Darrell Issa, who have studied and had substantial oversight over the D.C. government--each worked to give the District of Columbia budget autonomy.

Now, some of my colleagues here may argue that the District of Columbia will loose its financial discipline under budget autonomy; however, this could not be further from the truth. Budget autonomy actually improves the operations and finances for the District of Columbia government because the District would employ financial budget experts who are focused solely on the economic growth, fiscal soundness, and stability of the District, not Members of Congress intent on ideological posturing or voting on budgets of constituencies that are not their own, with Members of those districts or those jurisdictions prohibited from voting on those measures.

Autonomy would, in fact, lower borrowing costs, allow more accurate revenue and expenditure forecasts, improve agency operations and the removal of the threat that the Federal Government shutdowns would also shut down the District of Columbia's government.

Congress also loses no authority under budget autonomy because this body can use expedited procedures during the 30-day review period or other measures that are in there.

The U.S. Constitution also provides for Congress to retain authority to legislate any D.C. matter, including its local budget, at any time.

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Ms. PLASKETT. Now, I fear, when we leave the well-being of the District of Columbia to this body, this body seems to lack the will or fortitude to make equitable decisions for everyday people of this country or, more particularly, the historically disenfranchised people.

This Congress seems intent on stripping away what little power those who don't have a vote on this floor have been able to wring from the hands of the majority.

It is my belief that Congress should stop wasting its time debating legislation that continues to subjugate the District of Columbia to its authority and work on passing a Federal budget that would boost the economy of the entire American people.

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