On the recordMarch 30, 2011
One of the previous speakers said that he wanted to empower the parents of the District of Columbia. I agree. I think we should empower the parents of the District of Columbia to elect a representative who has a vote in this Chamber. Why don't we start with that? The irony of the proposition that this bill is allegedly about empowerment of adults in the District of Columbia and their children comes from people who, I assume, would resist the notion that the representative of the District of Columbia should have a vote in this Chamber. And let me bring up some very recent history. Under our majority, votes in the Committee of the Whole were, in fact, accorded to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia. On the first day of the new majority, it repealed her right and the rights of others from the territories to vote on matters in the Committee of the Whole. {time} 1540 There is one issue in this bill: Taxation without representation is tyranny. Decisionmaking without representation is wrong. The duly- elected representative of the people of the District of Columbia supports this amendment and opposes this bill. So do I for that reason. I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, that tomorrow we should consider a bill reorganizing the public schools of Cincinnati, Ohio, because we have just about as much prerogative to do that as we do this. Support the amendment. Defeat the underlying bill.
