Political Quotes

“It is unimaginable that nearly 600,000 Americans have no voice and no vote in Congress today. But it is a fact. It reflects decisions made long ago about whether the District of Columbia and its residents would be represented in Congress. There is good reason why they should be. I was saddened to learn this morning that President Bush has threatened to veto this bill. He will ask men and women in the District of Columbia to fight and risk their lives so the people of Iraq and Afghanistan have a right to vote, but he has threatened to veto the bill which gives those same soldiers the right to vote for congressional representation of their own. That is unacceptable. The President says he has constitutional concerns. He and other opponents of the DC House Voting Rights Act point to language in the Constitution that says that the House of Representatives will be composed of members chosen by 'the people of the several states.' They argue that the District of Columbia is a district, not a State. It is a weak argument at best. Our Federal judiciary has long treated the District of Columbia as a 'State' for many purposes.”