Political Quotes

“Let me say, Mr. Speaker, this is a new era in the District of Columbia; and it is my strong belief that the time has come to shift substantial authority from the Control Board back to the city's elected mayor and give the elected mayor the greater flexibility he has sought over top personnel. This bill gives Mayor Williams the tools he needs to do the job. H.R. 433 does not alter the time period or the conditions for the Control Board to function in an active phase. The bill takes nothing away from the Control Board's ability to intervene if necessary during a control period which still exists, but it does give the mayor direct control over the reporting and the hiring authority of some of his top personnel. If we want democracy to succeed, we need to allow the elected leadership in the cities to start making decisions, standing behind those decisions, without being second-guessed every step of the way. I would urge passage of H.R. 433.”