Maxine Waters: “Mr. Chairman, again I find myself taking the floor to support the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton)…”

“Mr. Chairman, again I find myself taking the floor to support the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) in her efforts to keep Members of this House from running roughshod over the District of Columbia. I support her efforts to strike the bar to the use of local funds again. It is absolutely amazing to me that we can in this House, on this floor, representatives of the people who sent us here because they believe in representative government, they believe in democracy and they believe in the right of the citizens to have a voice and to be represented, find myself on the floor of Congress arguing to allow the District of Columbia residents the right to go to court. On July 4, a group of 51 District residents filed a petition to Congress declaring that they lack political representation in the House and the Senate. The D.C. Corporation Counsel signed the petition, and they have a law firm that is going to, basically, agree to represent the petitioners pro bono. It is inconceivable that a serious legislator of any stripe could come on this floor with legislation that says, citizen, I do not care what you are attempting to do. Citizen of the District of Columbia, you do not have the same rights as other citizens in this Nation.”