OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Washington, D.C. Admission Act

Floor Speech

Date: April 22, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Federal, State and Local Relations

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Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I guess it is appropriate for someone from Maryland to speak on this issue because this is Maryland's land we are talking about. This land was given for the purpose of a Federal enclave by Maryland. How dare Congress take Maryland's land from it. That is not why it was given.

Mr. Speaker, let's talk about the unconstitutionality--well, you have heard about the unconstitutionality. We don't need to talk about it any more.

I urge everyone who is watching us on C-SPAN today: Go get your copy of the Constitution. It is written in black and white. This is very plain. This is clearly unconstitutional.

Mr. Speaker, I hope America was paying attention to the majority leader's speech, that one line where he said ``this is all about politics.'' In fact, he even gave the history. He said, well, in the past, the Republicans wanted Senators, and so and so wanted Senators.

We don't live in the past. We live in the present.

Mr. Speaker, is this what America wants? Do they want pure politics?

Not my words. That's what the majority leader said: This is all about politics.

Mr. Speaker, let's ask: Why did our Founders do what they did?

Every American who is watching, think about what you saw last summer. You saw a White House under siege. You saw a mob. And we know Members of this House have promoted mobs. They did it last weekend. It will happen again. If we put the boundary next to the Federal buildings, it will be subject to a mob, a mob controlled by a State, not a Federal enclave.

That is the last thing this country needs, and it is the last thing the Federal Government needs.

I see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle shaking their heads.

How else would one describe that group outside the White House?

It was an uncontrolled mob. Thank God that Federal troops, Federal forces, Federal law enforcement were allowed to be there to stop that mob.

That is why we need the District of Columbia to be the Federal enclave.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose the bill.

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