Political Quotes

“I rise to introduce the New Columbia Admissions Act that will create a 51st State from the populated portions of Washington, D.C., giving these more than 600,000 disenfranchised Americans the voice they deserve in our national government. The United States is the only democracy in the world that denies voting representation to the people who live in its capital city. It is long past time to end this unjust and embarrassing distinction. I am not the only Senator who feels this way--Senators Durbin, Boxer, and Murray join me in cosponsoring this bill today. My friend Senator Inouye had planned to cosponsor this bill as he was a strong supporter of the District's right to have congressional representation. Under this bill, there would still be Federal district called Washington, D.C., which would be under the control of Congress as the Constitution mandates. But it would be a smaller area encompassing the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the National Mall, where few people actually live. The rest of the current District of Columbia--diverse business districts and residential neighborhoods that are home to more than half a million U.S. citizens--would become a new State. This is completely in accord with the principles and mandates of the Constitution and our Founding Fathers. Indeed, I think it is worth remembering why our Founding Fathers created a Federal district in the first place.…”