Jack Kingston: “Mr. Speaker, first of all let me say to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that this is not and…”

“Mr. Speaker, first of all let me say to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that this is not and should not be seen as a Washington, D.C. bashing bill. The delegate from Washington, D.C. is very passionate in representing her area and does a great job. I served on the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on the District of Columbia. We worked with the Control Board, we worked with Marion Barry, we worked with a lot of people in the years I was on that committee and tried to be as sensitive as possible. And I believe that the gentlewoman would agree that there were lots and lots of rhetorical charges about what the big bad Republicans were going to do, and yet in the final analysis, much of what she pushed for was actually put into law on all aspects of the District. So I think it is very important to say that we have worked on a bipartisan basis and on a slow basis in terms of any reform effect in Washington, D.C.”