Introduction of the District of Columbia Government Title Equality Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Government Title Equality Act. This bill would amend the D.C. Home Rule Act to redesignate the Mayor as the Governor, the Council as the Legislative Assembly, the Councilmembers as Representatives and the Chair of the Council as the Speaker. The new titles are the ones used in the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth constitution, which the District adopted in 2016 in anticipation of passage of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act which would make D.C. the 51st state.

I introduce this bill to highlight to the American people and Members of Congress that there would be a seamless transition to D.C. statehood because D.C. already operates as the functional equivalent of a state, providing state-, county- and city-level services, despite being denied voting representation in Congress and full local self-government.

This bill would not change any legal authorities.

This is an important step to provide greater equality for the District, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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