Providing for Consideration of H.R. Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of and Providing for Consideration of H.J. Res. Disapproving the Action of the District of Columbia Council in Approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this rule. I will have more to say tomorrow about the police accountability and transparency legislation enacted by the District of Columbia's local legislature, but I want to take this time to discuss democratic principles.

It is true that Congress has the constitutional authority to legislate on our local D.C. matters, but it is false that Congress has a constitutional duty, obligation, or responsibility to do so. Instead, legislating on local D.C. matters is a choice.

I remind my Republican colleagues, who claim to revere the Founders, what James Madison said in Federalist 43 about the residents of the Federal District: ``A municipal legislature for local purposes, derived from their own suffrages, will of course be allowed them.''

The Supreme Court has held that Congress may delegate ``full legislative power'' on local D.C. matters.

D.C. disapproval resolutions are profoundly undemocratic and paternalistic legislation.

D.C.'s local legislature, the D.C. Council, has 13 members. The members are elected by D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote, they can vote them down. This is called democracy.

Congress has 535 voting Members. The Members are elected by residents of the States. None are elected by or accountable to D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how the Members vote--even on legislation that applies only to D.C.--they cannot vote them out of office.

The Revolutionary War was fought to give consent to the governed and to end taxation without representation. Yet nearly 700,000 D.C. residents cannot consent to any action taken by Congress, whether on national or local D.C. matters, while paying full Federal taxes. Indeed, D.C. pays more Federal taxes per capita than any State and more total Federal taxes than 23 States.

If the House cared about democratic principles or D.C. residents, it would be voting on my statehood bill, the Washington, D.C., Admission Act, instead. Congress has the constitutional authority to admit the State of Washington, D.C. The House is choosing not to. It is a choice.

Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying to all Members of the House: Keep your hands off of D.C.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source