Eleanor Norton

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens).

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. This bill allows our country to live up to its claim to be a democracy. We stand out as the only democracy which denies democracy to the residents of its own Capital City. Our claim to world leadership is marred until, with this bill, the residents of our Capital are equal in citizenship to the citizens of every Member of the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Maryland an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional 1 minute. Congress has two choices: It can continue to exercise undemocratic or autocratic authority over the 705,000 American citizens who reside in our Nation's capital, treating them, in the words of Frederick Douglass, as ``aliens; not citizens, but subjects''; or Congress can live up to this Nation's promise and ideals and pass H.R. 51. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and the late Elijah Cummings, our millions of allies across the country, and, most importantly, generations of D.C. residents and officials who have refused to simply accept their treatment as second- class citizens for bringing us to this historic day. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 51, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judciary, Washington, DC, June 18, 2020. Hon. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairwoman Maloney: This is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 5803, the ``Washington, D.C. Admission Act,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your including them in the bill for consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to forgo action on H.R. 5803, with the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject matters. In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference. Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and I thank her for the way she conducted hearings on H.R. 51.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from New York.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin), my good friend and neighbor.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to note that the gentleman's amendment to cede the District of Columbia back to Maryland did not have the consent of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), my good friend.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield).

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I say to the gentleman, paying Federal taxes, that says everything about the desire of citizens of Washington, D.C. to be equal, that we are quite willing to continue to pay Federal income tax. And I appreciate his amendment. We have rejected his amendment because we want to be full citizens. That means paying our share. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett), my good friend.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, important to note that Maryland permanently ceded the land that now is part of the District of Columbia. You can't get back what you permanently ceded. And it is important to note that we have had several Members from Maryland speak. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Mfume).

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), my friend and the chair of the Financial Services Committee.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I didn't know until he indicated he had gone to Howard University here; that is just another plus mark because he has already got a lot of pluses as far as I am concerned. Madam Speaker, the rule before us for the D.C. statehood bill is no ordinary rule. It is the prelude to the passage of a historic bill, and I use those words advisedly. For the 219 years since the District of Columbia first became the capital of these United States, countless bills that have deeply affected D.C. residents have been enacted not only without their consent, but without their participation. Indeed, for the greater part of the existence of the Nation's capital, there was neither representation in either the House or the Senate nor even the right of District residents to govern themselves locally. Local home rule. In other words, the residents of our Nation's capital were excluded entirely from American democracy for most of its existence as the capital. Nevertheless, D.C. residents have always paid the same Federal taxes as other Americans, today ranked number one in Federal taxes paid, and have fought in all of the Nation's wars, including the war that created the United States of America. Throughout its existence, the country has flattered itself by saluting itself as a democracy. With the passage of this rule and then the D.C. statehood bill, that flattery at least will be deserved.

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I speak of the flattery we give ourselves of democracy here and around the world. With the passage of this rule and of the D.C. statehood bill, that flattery at least and at last will be deserved.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Washington, D.C. Palisades Citizens Association and the annual Palisades Fourth of July parade. I have walked in this parade ever since I was elected, and I deeply regret that the pandemic will keep us from coming together this year to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the parade. Begun in 1966, the annual Palisades Fourth of July Parade is a time- honored District of Columbia tradition. Each year, the parade, organized by the Palisades Citizens Association, kicks off at 11:00 a.m. and proceeds along MacArthur Boulevard NW from the firehouse on Whitehaven Parkway NW to the Palisades Recreation Center. Last year, I was happy to participate alongside the D.C. Girl Scouts. A true local celebration, the Palisades parade is complete with artfully crafted floats, local leaders, D.C.'s unforgiving summer heat, dancing, music, watermelon and hot dogs. It is a one-mile walk showcasing D.C.'s best. As we celebrate July 4th this year, in ways that promote social distancing, it is with a historic accomplishment in tow--House passage of the D.C. statehood bill, H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, for the first time in American history. Each year, I encourage D.C. residents to march on July 4th to remind the country that the war to end taxation without representation is not finished. We will not be truly equal with the states until the District achieves statehood, which includes equal representation and full self- government. Last week, we moved close to that goal for the first time in 219 years. Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me as we celebrate, in spirit, the 54th annual Palisades Parade and honor the Palisades Citizens Association.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor to echo the rising chorus for a fifth coronavirus bill and to applaud three vital provisions addressed to the special circumstances of the District of Columbia in that bill. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have taken needed initiative in introducing the HEROES Act to get ahead of this virus, instead of chasing it. The first four bills have proven themselves. Jurisdictions following the CDC guidelines, like the District of Columbia, are seeing deaths decrease. Across the country, careful reopenings are occurring. To be sure, scientists are warning of prolonging the virus unless there is more social distancing and masking, because that is far from universal. But my Republican friends have called for a pause. Of course, we have seen unprecedented spending, but this is an unprecedented virus. The virus has shut down the entire world. I am pleased that Republicans may be declaring the end of their pause barely a week after House passage of the HEROES Act. Yesterday, the Senate majority leader said Congress will probably have to pass a fifth bill. Thank you, Senator McConnell. President Trump said--and I am quoting him--``I think the United States will need another round of stimulus.'' They may be following Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who said more is needed for the economy shortly after the April report showed a 14.7 percent unemployment rate. Mr. McConnell only wants to fund increased losses due to COVID-19, whatever that means. But tailoring the next bill based on whether COVID-19 or something else caused the losses would require an inexact calculus that itself could bog down the next bill, particularly what I regard as the most essential part of the HEROES Act, $1 trillion for State and local government. This is the government, State and local government, that is closest to the people. This is the government that funds first responders and healthcare workers in local hospitals. This is the government that funds the workers who pick up your garbage twice a week. This is the government running on fumes. So are the American people who need another cash payment, an additional $1,200 per family member, up to $6,000 per household, and other essentials like unemployment benefits and housing benefits, a 15 percent increase in nutrition programs. People have got to eat during this crisis. I also have been able to get included in the HEROES Act a trifecta of provisions that the District must have, beginning with the $755 million in retroactive funding Republicans in the Senate removed from the CARES Act by treating the District for the first time in American history as a territory, when we have always been treated for what we are, a State for funding purposes, and, of course, the D.C. statehood bill has enough cosponsors to pass this very year. We have always received State-level funding because we pay the highest Federal taxes per capita in the United States. The HEROES Act also includes money for State, county, and city funding, the first time the District has ever had to break down its funding. The District is a unique jurisdiction in the United States because it operates at all three levels. The HEROES Act also authorizes the District to participate in the municipal liquidity facilities funding of the Federal Reserve, if that should become necessary. The $3 trillion HEROES Act sent to the Senate last week is a marker. It will probably not be enough, as large as it is, to contain this virus. But, at a minimum, it should get us started on sensible negotiations. Time, Mr. Speaker, is not on the side of the virus. Let's beat it with the HEROES Act.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Major General David F. Wherley, Jr., District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Act (NGRCA). This bill is named for General Wherley, former Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard, who, along with his wife, Ann, and seven others were tragically killed when Metro trains collided on the Red Line on June 22, 2009. This bill would permanently authorize funding for a program that provides grants for higher education to members of the D.C. National Guard, which is under the control of the federal, not the District of Columbia, government. I renamed this bill after General Wherley because he worked tirelessly with me to get funding for the program for many years, and because of his devotion to the youth of the District and to the National Guard. The NGRCA authorizes an education incentive program, recommended by General Wherley and his successor, Major General Errol Schwartz, to stem the troublesome loss of D.C. Guard members to other units, including National Guards in surrounding states that offer such educational benefits to their Guards. I am grateful that Congress has consistently provided funds for the program at our request, most recently $413,000 in fiscal year 2020. Permanently authorizing the program is necessary, however, to ensure that D.C. Guard members receive the same treatment and benefits as other National Guard members, particularly those in neighboring states that compete with the District for members and provide these education benefits. Today, the Guard for the nation's capital has a diminished ability to compete for regional residents if membership in the Maryland or Virginia Guards is more economically beneficial. A competitive tuition assistance program for the D.C. Guard would provide a significant and much-needed incentive to help maintain enrollment and level the field of competition. The federal government supports D.C. Guard functions and understands it should support this small benefit as well, because the appropriators have always funded the D.C. Guard program, even without authorization. However, depending on appropriations alone leaves the D.C. Guard program in a tenuous condition at odds with the tuition programs in nearby states. Because the program is not controversial, there is no reason not to permanently authorize funding for these D.C. National Guard education benefits. I appreciate that the appropriators and ultimately Congress have not hesitated to fund the education benefits for the D.C. National Guard. This support argues strongly for permanent authorization. These small education benefits have not only encouraged high-quality recruits, but have helped the D.C. Guard to maintain the force necessary to protect the federal presence here, including the possibility of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. I am pleased to introduce this bill based on the advice of Guard personnel, who best know what is necessary. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in remembering the life of James ``Jim'' McGrath, a longtime District of Columbia resident and our city's leading activist for tenants' rights, on the occasion of his death on March 3, 2020. Jim McGrath, born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 1, 1937, came to the District after serving in the U.S. Army. He studied literature at American University and received a master's degree in literature at Georgetown University. Jim worked full time as he pursued his education. He worked and volunteered for the American Cancer Society, he was a research assistant for a D.C. law firm and a paralegal for a telecommunications firm in D.C. These experiences led him to the House of Representatives, where he worked for former Speaker of the House John W. McCormack of Massachusetts. Jim worked as a clerk for the House Committee on the Judiciary and later became a leading expert on federal pay issues as an employee of the Library of Congress. As a D.C. resident who lived in Dupont Circle for 45 years, Jim became well acquainted with the challenges and abuse D.C. tenants face. He established the D.C. Tenants Advocacy Coalition (TENAC) in 1992 and became the lead advocate for tenants for rent control in the District. His advocacy for tenants' rights brought him before the D.C. Council, and his expertise led to legislation such as the creation of the Office of the Tenant Advocate (OTA), the confirmation of the Chief Tenant Advocate and the Tenants' Right To Organize Act. Jim's leadership will be especially missed today, when the high cost of housing is perhaps the most important issue facing our city. With the passing of Jim McGrath this month, the District has lost a friend--and so have I. Jim McGrath devoted his life to the tenants of this city and became the face and soul of tenants' rights. Jim was the acknowledged leader of citizen efforts to protect tenants in this highcost city. Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in honoring James ``Jim'' McGrath, my friend and a leader in our city, for his life of service. I extend my deepest condolences to Jim's family.