On the recordMay 21, 2013
I rise in strong support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 16. I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Miller for her help in bringing this resolution to the floor. I also thank Ranking Member Brady for his longstanding commitment to placing a District of Columbia statue in the United States Capitol. When he chaired the committee, it approved my bill that would have given the District two statues in the Capitol, the usual practice. But, we are pleased to have our first statue and are grateful to the House leadership for permitting this bill on the floor today. We especially thank Senators Schumer and Durbin for their help in getting this resolution, as well as the bill authorizing the placement of the Douglass statue in the Capitol, passed in the Senate. The District of Columbia has no Senators so we're fortunate we have distinguished allies like Senators Schumer and Durbin. Like the residents of the 50 States, the residents of the District of Columbia have fought and died in all our Nation's wars and have always paid Federal income taxes. Unlike the residents of the 50 States, however, District of Columbia residents are still fighting for their equal rights as American citizens. Since 2002, one component of that fight has been to have statues representing the District of Columbia placed in the Capitol, like the States, which fulfill every obligation of citizenship, as the District does. D.C.…
