"There is nothing more fundamental in a democracy than the right to vote."
"I renew my request that the principle of self-government be extended and the right of suffrage granted to the citizens of the District of Columbia."
"D.C. residents have all of the responsibilities of citizenship, but they have no congressional voting rights and only limited self-government."
"I also want to give up power to the people and just thank those who have labored in love, foot soldiers who have organized and mobilized and raised your voices time and time again."
"When our Nation was founded, it was based on the belief that no people should be subjected to taxation without representation or be governed without their consent."
"These fundamental disparities for hundreds of thousands of Americans are inconsistent with the core principles embodied in our Constitution."
"Today is a truly historic day for Congress, for this committee, for the people of Washington, DC, and for our democracy."
"Congress, because we are not a state, prohibited our implementing that program."
"For the people of D.C., taxation without representation is more than just a catchy hashtag or a bumper sticker slogan."
"Today, more than 60 years after President Eisenhower said those words, D.C. residents overwhelmingly support Statehood."
"In June, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called D.C. Statehood 'full-bore socialism.' I don't know what this means."