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Washington, D.C. Admission Act

Floor Speech

Date: June 26, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Budget and Spending Federal, State and Local Relations

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, first of all, a little comment, maybe clearing things up. I will point out to everyone in the room that when we say the Pledge of Allegiance, the phrase ``to the Republic for which it stands'' is in the pledge. And I think we all remember the memorable comment of Benjamin Franklin at a time around when the Constitution was drafted. He talked about he was giving us ``a Republic, if we can keep it.''

Now, at the time the Constitution was drafted, our forefathers did include a district, which would be the capital for the country. Our forefathers put together the United States and reached a compromise between the 13 States. They realized at the time it would be ridiculous to break apart a State and give it two Senators, like all of the other States. In part, that is because it is so different and has such a different interest in the States.

All of the States, the 50 States, to a variety of degree, have been given an amount of agriculture. There is virtually no agriculture-- maybe no agriculture--maybe somewhere there is a greenhouse or something in the District of Columbia. There is no manufacturing. There is no mining or logging. Or if there is, it is so tiny we can barely see it.

Mr. Speaker, it is a unique city because it is based on government jobs and tourist jobs connected to people coming and visiting those government buildings. It is not like any other State out there. If it were to become a State, its representatives would have spent all their time almost devoted to getting more money for the city. And already the Federal Government puts a great deal of money into the city. You couldn't complain that they do not have enough funds for their schools or their city. I believe their schools are somewhere in the top--if you considered it a State--somewhere in the top three or four in the country, as far as funding per person.

Mr. Speaker, it would make no sense, say, for Wisconsin to break off and give two Senators to Milwaukee and give two Senators to the rest of the State. Milwaukee is not a State.

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