Elijah Cummings: “I don't believe this hearing is about safety.”

If we had a House and if we had a Senate that would pass legislation and we had a President that would sign it, this problem which is the subject of this hearing today could be fixed.

Earlier this year, thanks to this committee's efforts, the House passed the Inspector General Access Act, co-sponsored by Chairman Cummings, Congressman Richmond, Congressman Hice, and Congressman Lynch, and hopefully, that will be given…

I am extremely proud that our committee is holding the first hearing on D.C. Statehood in the House of Representatives in more than 25 years.

I really do think that we are in a moral situation. People are striving to live, trying to breathe the air of our country, trying to be better, trying to be healthy.