Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I thank my good friend from New York. This debate is already heartbreaking to me. Every time I hear the District of…”

“I thank my good friend from New York. This debate is already heartbreaking to me. Every time I hear the District of Columbia mentioned in the same breath with other appropriations on either my side of the aisle, you are casting this city precisely where it cannot be cast--as just another Federal appropriation. This is a living, breathing city, and the notion of holding up our budget under any circumstances or not distinguishing between the District of Columbia appropriations--a local budget and not one of your 12 appropriations; a local budget--and the other budgets is breaking my heart. It puts me in an impossible position. {time} 1800 I have a greater number of Federal employees than any part of this region. And of course, because I must support this piecemeal approach, when it comes to this D.C. continuing resolution, I'm leaving them behind. Well, what am I to do? What would you do if your local budget were here? Would you mention it in the same breath as the HHS budget, or the Labor Department budget, or the VA budget? I was here when there was a piecemeal approach, and it was painful. After the District was shut down for 1 week, I went to Speaker Newt Gingrich and I said, please don't do that again for the District. There were CRs and there were bills, but each and every time Newt kept the District open after that. So I'm asking, keep the District open. Don't dare compare us to your appropriations.…”