Barbara Boxer: “Then we have the people of Washington, DC. They are not represented with a vote. That is wrong. Over 500,000 people live…”

“Then we have the people of Washington, DC. They are not represented with a vote. That is wrong. Over 500,000 people live in this great city, the heart and soul of our democracy. Eighty percent are voting age. They can't cast their ballots in national elections for congressional representatives. They don't have Senators or Representatives here. That is why I have joined Senator Joe Lieberman on his bill that calls for full voting rights for DC residents. So, again, I say what a privilege and honor it is for me to be here, to stand here, thinking back to my days as a child when African Americans had to go to the back of the bus in some parts of the South, feeling the pain of that myself for those who had to live in that way. So this bill is a fitting tribute to Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer and Coretta Scott King. I thank the Presiding Officer for his indulgence. This is a starting place for a lot of us, and we are going to make sure that, in fact, the right to vote is a reality for every single one of our citizens. Mr. President, I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York is recognized for 5 minutes.”