Political Quotes

“I would say to the Speaker, in response, quite the opposite. The government and the people of the District of Columbia need to be allowed to chart their own course, which is what I think most of you say on a regular basis. It is a mystery to me--and ought to be a mystery to every American who believes in the premise that people ought to govern themselves--why House Republicans are determined to strip that ability from the 700,000 Americans who live in our Nation's Capital. They pay taxes. They pay taxes to their local government. And we want to make that decision. I understand what the court has said and that courts may rule that way, but shouldn't we have the patience to let the court system decide whether or not this referendum of the people of the District of Columbia is adjudged to be appropriate? The locally raised revenues from taxes and fees do not originate from the Federal Government, but from the hardworking residents of Washington. The District of Columbia has proven Congress' wisdom in enacting the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act time and again by managing its affairs in a fiscally responsible, democratic way. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has again expired.”