Introduction of the Service Academies District of Columbia Equality Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Service Academies District of Columbia Equality Act, which would give the District of Columbia the same number of appointments and nominations to the U.S. service academies as states. Currently, each Member of the House and each senator is allocated five appointments to each service academy-- the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy--and each Member of the House and each senator is allowed 10 nominations for each appointment. Therefore, since D.C. has no senators, D.C. is deprived of 10 appointments and, assuming all appointments are vacant, 10 nominations to each service academy. I am pleased Senator Tim Kaine has introduced the companion bill.

This bill would provide equality for D.C. residents who choose to serve their country by applying to a service academy. It is remarkable that D.C. residents volunteer to serve a country that denies them statehood, congressional voting rights and full home rule. D.C. residents have fought in every American war, and D.C. residents, who pay all federal taxes, including paying more federal taxes per capita than the residents of any state, deserve the same opportunity to attend our prestigious service academies as residents of states.

D.C.'s population (690,000) is larger than that of two states and is in line with the six states that have a population under one million. D.C. servicemembers have helped secure voting rights for people around the world, yet have always been denied those same rights when they returned home. D.C. residents deserve equality at the service academies.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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