Political Quotes

“I strongly oppose the Republican Majority's unilateral, and rather extraordinary, effort to undermine democracy in the District of Columbia. A majority that claims to oppose big government and fancies itself as the champion of State and local rights; astonishingly finds itself on the precipice of wielding the Federal Government's power to overturn the decision of a local government solely because it can. Not because it should; but because it can. Never mind that the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act was appropriately considered, passed, and enacted by the duly elected representatives of the District of Columbia. The majority has decided that democratic principles take a back seat to pleasing its anti-reproductive rights base. Make no mistake; this disgraceful vote represents a strike against the right to self-governance. It is an affront to D.C. home rule and a regrettable regression by the majority to a previous era, when Republicans of the 1990's abused congressional power to advance intrusive, anti-democratic legislation that meddled in the District's local affairs. Indeed, this resolution is emblematic of efforts by certain segments of the conservative movement that intended or not, would actually have the effect of enshrining bigotry into our laws in the name of fighting it. Let us have no illusions about what the majority seeks to do this evening. In making a mockery of the D.C.…”