On the recordOctober 1, 2013
I know I've already spoken, but as I talked to my friend, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the delegate made an impassioned plea to me, and it needs to be said. We need to pass this. We need to pass this to show that we can in fact--maybe not agree on everything, maybe not agree on appropriations, but we need to pass this because the District deserves not to be held hostage in our fight. I will whip every Republican to vote ``yes'' on this bill. I can't say that I'm going to intervene in everything that we do, but this one is important. I would ask all of us to really search our soul and say: Is the District of Columbia and their own funds the place we should be having an argument, or can we at least admit that if we get above the fray here today--the Senate has already gotten above it. {time} 1815 A similar bill has already been hot-lined. This is not where the House and the Senate disagree and, as a result, it should not be where we fail to come together. I ask all my friends to join with Eleanor Holmes Norton and me and pass this bill.
