District of Columbia Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. ISSA. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I'm the gentleman, the colleague, that walked up to Mr. Dingell and asked him if he'd ever seen it this bad before. And I'm sorry to hear that he did. Because in his 57 years, he covered 57 of my 59 years of life. So I hope I'm not the petulant child when I say that, quite frankly, the disregard over the District of Columbia is on his side of the aisle.

It's not an appropriations bill. It's not really part of the CR.

The truth is the District of Columbia pulls quarters out of meters every day, and they're not going to be allowed to spend that. They receive revenues from building permits, but they're not going to be able to use that money to keep the people that look at those building permits employed.

They receive money from the various services they do, including, obviously, making sure that the property in the District of Columbia is protected. And that creates the property value on which we who own property in the District of Columbia--and I am among them--pay our taxes.

Now, the Democrats love to talk about taxation without representation. Well, I'm here today to say, Where is Eleanor Holmes Norton's representation? Give her her due.

They're being taxed locally. Those moneys will build up locally. And you're saying they can't spend it?

There's no question in your mind that the right thing to do is to pass a CR on everything cleanly. That's good. But until we pass a CR which would include some funds for the District of Columbia, allowing them to have what every single Member on both sides of the aisle has going on in every single city in their districts, it's just fairness.

Do not treat the District of Columbia greater than what it is--it is the Federal city--but for goodness sake, it's a city. It should have the right to spend its own money.

Yesterday, I was pleased to see some 34 Democrats cross former Speaker Pelosi's orders and edicts to vote ``no'' on everything and vote with Eleanor Holmes Norton. I just hope today that people will search their souls and ask the question, Don't you really want to vote ``yes''?

Isn't this a time in which you show your independence and do the right thing for the District of Columbia and let them spend their own money? Or will you go home to the city you live in tonight or this weekend, knowing that they're spending the money that they collect locally and you're denying the District of Columbia the ability to spend the money it collects locally?

Our committee passed unanimously a bill to make that permanent. It wasn't an appropriations bill. It was a statutory change to the Home Rule Act. I only ask that you realize that we were on a trajectory toward providing an enhancement in home rule that would cover this. I want that bill brought up as soon as possible, but this is the equivalent for this crisis period.

I saw my friend Eleanor Holmes Norton almost in tears yesterday because she couldn't believe her own party wouldn't support her. Don't do that today.

Support the Delegate from the District of Columbia and support the people of the District of Columbia in their ability to spend their own money, or you will be damning them to taxation without representation.

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