On the recordMay 21, 2024
I appreciate my colleague's comments on this issue. I will point out a couple of important facts. The Constitution clearly gives the U.S. Congress the power to govern Washington, DC. Washington, DC is not a State. It is a Federal district. Our Founding Fathers wanted it that way. They didn't want one State to have more control over the Federal Government than another. And we think about the issues going on in Washington, DC, right now. This Federal district has turned into a war zone. It is no longer safe for our staff to walk to and from their jobs. Almost every week, we are seeing somebody physically assaulted, carjackings, stabbings. It is to the point where I am afraid for folks from back home to come visit us, and our folks from back home deserve the right to safely petition their government. Look, the city council, the Mayor of Washington, DC, have blown it. They have not taken their responsibilities seriously, and that is why we need to usurp that power back. We need to do what the Constitution says. And we certainly don't want illegal aliens promoting this cashless bail, defund-the-police program. We need more security in Washington, DC, not less. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont. S.J. Res. 58
