Providing for Consideration of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 83, Insular Areas and Freely Associated States Energy Development; Waiving Requirement of Clause 6(a) of Rule XIII with Respect to Consideration of Certain Resolutions; and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend for all of her hard
work on this bill.

District of Columbia voters passed the most restrictive marijuana
legalization law in the country, Initiative 71, allowing possession of
small amounts of marijuana for personal use only. Four States have
legalized marijuana. The city was motivated by two independent studies
revealing shameful racial disparities, disparities that are endemic, by
the way, in the rest of the country as well in marijuana possession
arrests. Ninety percent of marijuana arrests here are of African
Americans, though Blacks and Whites use marijuana at the same rate in a
city that is 50-50 Black and White.

Do not expect residents to tolerate unequal treatment of the District
of Columbia, a jurisdiction of Federal tax-paying Americans, and, on
top of that, discrimination against African Americans who live here.

I am trying to find a way around the antidemocratic language in the
bill that bullies the District of Columbia. Congress must find its way
out of the local affairs of the residents of the District, who pay the
highest Federal taxes per capita in the United States, while the Member
who represents them must stand by and watch every Member of this House
vote on a matter affecting her district, except the Member who
represents the District of Columbia.

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