Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the critically important and remarkable work of Monica Bibbs, who recently stepped down as Director of School Strategies & Logistics at the W.B. Patterson Elenrentary School, a public school in the District of Columbia.

At W.B. Patterson Elementary School, Ms. Bibbs delivered high-quality work on time, prioritized tasks and managed her time well and demonstrated excellent organizational skills.

Ms. Bibbs began her teaching career in 1987 at H.D. Woodson Senior High School as a mathematics teacher. In 2007, she went to work in central administration as a secondary school numeracy coach and mathematics content specialist.

In 2014, she went to work at W.B. Patterson Elementary School as an Assistant Principal, where she worked collaboratively to achieve team goals and contributed positively to team dynamics, fostering a positive work environment. In 2016, she began serving as Director of School Strategies & Logistics, a role she performed with dedication and a strong work ethic until her retirement this year.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Monica Bibbs and her nearly 35 years of incredible service to public schools in D.C.

Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding to me.

Madam Speaker, I rise to strongly oppose this rule and the fiscal year 2024 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill.

The bill blocks, repeals, or amends ten laws and policies adopted by the District of Columbia's locally elected officials.

The rule also makes in order three amendments that would block D.C. from spending its local funds, which consist of local taxes and fees, to carry out local D.C. laws and policies.

While Congress has the constitutional authority to legislate on local D.C. matters, it does not have a constitutional duty to do so. Instead, legislating on local D.C. matters is a choice.

The Supreme Court has held that Congress may delegate ``fully legislative power'' to D.C. on local D.C. matters.

D.C.'s local legislature, the D.C. Council, has 13 members. All members are elected by D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like the laws the Council adopts, they can vote those members out of office. That is called democracy.

Congress has 435 voting Members. The Members are elected by residents of the States. None are elected by or accountable to D.C. residents.

If D.C. residents do not like the laws Congress adopts, they cannot vote the Members out of office. This is the antithesis of democracy.

The Revolutionary War was fought to give consent to the governed and to end taxation without representation. Yet, D.C. residents cannot consent to any action taken by Congress, whether on national or local matters, and pay full Federal taxes. Indeed, D.C. pays more Federal taxes per capita than any State and more total Federal taxes than 19 States.

D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. If House Republicans cared about Democratic principles affecting D.C. residents, they would bring my D.C. statehood bill, which would give D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government to the floor.

Congress has the constitutional authority to admit the State of Washington, D.C. It simply lacks the will.

Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose this amendment. This amendment would eliminate $150 million in Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

This funding, which Congress has provided annually since 2008, supports much-needed high-priority capital and preventive maintenance projects, including rehabilitating crumbling rail station platforms, supporting first responder safety, repairing elevators and escalators, mitigating tunnel water leaks, and replacing aging and obsolete equipment on railcars.

Hundreds of thousands of national capital region residents, visitors, and Federal Government employees rely on the Metro daily. Without this funding, there could be reductions in rail service and increased risk to the safety of riders, as well as increased road traffic emissions.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this reckless amendment.

Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act, which would remove the term ``retarded'' from Title 11 of the District of Columbia Code and replace it with more appropriate and respectful terminology. I am pleased that Representative Marc Molinaro is the co-lead of this bill.

Removing the term from the law has bipartisan support. In 2010, Congress removed several instances of the term from federal law by passing Rosa's Law (P.L. 111-256). Earlier this year, I joined both Republican and Democratic colleagues in introducing the Words Matter Act, which would remove several more instances of the term from federal law.

The term is used three times in Title 11 of the D.C. Code, and, under the D.C. Home Rule Act, only Congress can amend Title 11 of the D.C. Code.

There was a time when the term was a clinical term, but in more recent years, it has become a slur used against people with intellectual disabilities. Words indisputably matter, and I know our country is better than keeping such language in our law.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Federal Gift Shop Tax Act, which would allow state and local governments to impose a sales tax at gift shops on federal property. These governments would be able to generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue.

When the federal government engages in activity that is not inherently governmental, such as operating a gift shop, there is no reason to exempt customer purchases from a sales tax. The items sold at federal gift shops, such as jewelry, apparel, accessories, games and books, are subject to a sales tax if sold on private property. Customers are often unaware of the exemption from a sales tax at gift shops on federal property, so the introduction of a sales tax is unlikely to have a significant impact on gift shop sales. It would, however, create a valuable revenue stream for state and local governments. In addition, state and local governments often provide uncompensated services on federal property, such as fire service, and allowing them to impose a sales tax at gift shops on federal property would allow them to recoup some of these costs.

This bill is of particular importance to the District of Columbia, which is home to a number of gift shops on federal property, such as at the Smithsonian Institution and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, today, I introduce the No Fencing at the United States Capitol Complex Act, which would prohibit the installation of new permanent fencing on the grounds of the United States Capitol complex. I am pleased that Senator Chris Van Hollen is introducing this bill in the Senate.

After the insurrectionist attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the Capitol complex became an untraversable fortress surrounded by frightening fences capped with barbed wire--typical of authoritarian regimes. Although more needs to be done to protect the Capitol complex, the failure of Capitol security leaders to plan for the predictable and openly announced attack on the Capitol on January 6th does not justify closing the complex to the public, to whom it belongs. We can and must maintain our commitment to security without sacrificing public access by using the least restrictive means necessary to address security.

The January 6th attack on the Capitol, which had little to do with the lack of permanent fencing, was the greatest intelligence and security failure in the history of our nation's capital. There were countless security failures on January 6th that we can and must address, including: taking threats of extremist violence seriously at an earlier stage; closing the Capitol building grounds during high- profile and high-threat events, as is typically done, but was not done on January 6th; manpower; building security; and training. Permanent fencing, which is incredibly imprecise, would not address those security lapses. It is more likely to keep out children, joggers and tourists than a coordinated attack on the Capitol. In fact, it is a form of security theater--it would make the Capitol ``look'' safer but mask the lack of state-of-the-art security measures that could prevent attacks in the future. Every threat to the Capitol since January 6th has been stopped by longstanding and new security measures and the excellent work of the Capitol Police. Permanent fencing would not aid the Capitol Police in stopping threats but it would create an image of authoritarianism, secrecy and inaccessibility. The Capitol complex is for all the American people, and, with proper security, must remain open to them.

Permanent fencing would send an un-American message to the nation and the world, by transforming our democracy from one that is accessible, transparent and of the people to one that is closed off, secretive and fearful of its own citizens. It would tell the world that the most powerful nation must rely on crude barriers for safety instead of state-of-the-art intelligence and security protocols. The Capitol has welcomed First Amendment protests and demonstrations for centuries without becoming a fortress, The openness of the Capitol and our democracy is our strength, not a security weakness that needs to be rooted out. Any further consideration of permanent fencing is desperate, distasteful and disrespectful of our history and institutions.

Furthermore, the Capitol complex does not exist in a vacuum. It is immediately surrounded by residential neighborhoods and local businesses, which form the heart of the District of Columbia. Permanent fencing would cause serious damage to the fabric of these communities. After January 6th, these residents and businesses were more than understanding as their neighborhoods turned into militarized zones. They waited patiently as officers checked their identification on their walks home or took alternative routes when they found blocked streets. Permanent fencing would infringe on their ability, as well as the general public's ability, to enjoy the public spaces that define our nation's capital.

The distance between government and the people has grown, with trust in government at historic lows. Installing permanent fencing at the Capitol complex would only increase that distance.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Juror Pay Parity Act, which would require D.C.'s local trial court, the Superior Court, to pay jurors the same amount federal courts pay jurors. Currently, the Superior Court pays jurors the same amount as federal jurors, but the Superior Court has sometimes paid less.

Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, Congress assumed responsibility for funding the local D.C. courts. The local D.C. courts, however, have always been under the direct control of Congress, even when they were funded by D.C. The D.C. Home Rule Act prohibits the D.C. Council from enacting any law with respect to any provision of Title 11 of the D.C. Code. Under Title 11, the Board of Judges of the Superior Court sets juror pay.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, today, I introduce a bill that would prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) and the District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG) from transferring personnel and equipment of the DCNG to DOD or the National Guard of a state or territory. The DOD has indicated it will restructure the DCNG. The DOD is considering, among other things, transferring the aviation units of the DCNG to the Maryland and Virginia National Guards. Transferring the aviation units would make D.C. residents and the nation's capital less safe.

The DCNG is unique. The National Guards of the states and territories operate under dual federal and state/territorial jurisdiction, while the DCNG operates solely under federal jurisdiction. The governors of the states, as well as of the three territories with National Guards, control their National Guards, and the president has the authority to federalize the National Guards. The president controls the DCNG.

The proposed transfer of aviation units is especially troubling. If the DCNG had no aviation units, the DCNG would be reliant on the National Guards of the states and territories or active-duty forces for aviation matters, such as intercepting aircraft, patrolling the skies and rescuing or evacuating people in emergencies. While the D.C. mayor or DCNG could request assistance from a state or territory in the event air assets were needed in D.C., there is no guarantee the air assets would be provided in a timely manner--or at all. While the president could use active-duty troops or federalize a state or territorial National Guard for aviation matters to assist D.C., the circumstances under which the president may federalize a National Guard are very limited.

I note that I have introduced legislation, which the House passed twice last Congress, to give the D.C. mayor the same control over the DCNG that the governors have over their National Guards. I also note that I was outraged by the attacks on protestors by the DCNG after the killing of George Floyd.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker pro tempore, I rise to recognize the indefatigable work of Bo Shuff, who recently stepped down as Executive Director of DC Vote after seven years. At DC Vote, Bo helped lead the movement to make the District of Columbia the 51st state and to prevent Congress from interfering in D.C.'s local affairs. I have worked closely with Bo on these efforts.

During Bo's tenure at DC Vote, the House of Representatives twice passed my bill, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, that would make D.C. a state. Those are the only two times in history either chamber of Congress has passed the D.C. statehood bill.

Bo has been involved in campaigns and advocacy since 2000, when he worked on behalf of then-Vice President Al Gore as part of the Florida Coordinate Campaign. In 2002, he worked on the statewide coordinated effort to re-elect then-U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and then-Governor and now-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. In 2003, Bo worked in more than 30 states for the Human Rights Campaign to pass equality legislation and to elect candidates who supported LGBTQ rights.

Bo has also worked for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, serving as Chief of Staff of its foundation, what is now the Progressive Caucus Center. In 2013, Bo became Campaign Manager for the mayoral campaign of now-D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. After that successful campaign, Bo became Executive Director of DC Vote.

I ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the important contributions of Bo Shuff to the District of Columbia and the Nation.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise to recognize Richard ``Rick'' Lee, owner and Chairman of the Board of Lee's Flower and Card Shop, founded in the District of Columbia in 1945.

Mr. Lee's long-standing business ties and community outreach have made a lasting impact on the District of Columbia and its residents in numerous ways.

As a business owner, Mr. Lee has served District of Columbia residents for more than 45 years. He has been named the Small Business Person of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Lee served as Vice President of the U Street Business Association, under Marion Barry, who served as President, and later served four years as an appointed Statehood Commissioner under the late Harry Thomas Sr. He also held a mayoral appointment to the Board of Accountancy, also under Marion Barry.

Mr. Lee served on the Board of Directors of the D.C. Children's Trust Fund. He also served as Small Business Vice Chairman of a local chapter of the United Way, Chairman of the Banneker Boy Scouts of America, Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of NE Washington D.C., Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Theatre, Member of the Board of Directors of MANNA, Vice President of the Shaw Neighborhood Association and Member of the Washington Gas Consumer Advisory Board for six years.

Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I ask the House of Representatives to wish Richard ``Rick'' Lee a happy 80th birthday this month and recognize his leadership of Lee's Flower and Card Shop and his distinguished service to District of Columbia residents.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Commission of Fine Arts District of Columbia Residency Act. This bill would require that a majority of the members of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) be District of Columbia residents.

Under federal law and presidential executive orders (EOs), the CFA has review authority for federal property in D.C., certain military property, certain coins and medals, D.C.-owned parks and buildings and certain private land in D.C. Under the relevant EOs, CFA has review authority for the design of D.C.-owned parks and buildings. Under the Shipstead-Luce Act, CFA has review authority for the design of private buildings in D.C. ``adjacent to public buildings and grounds of major importance,'' such as Rock Creek Park and the Potomac riverfront. Under the Old Georgetown Act, the CFA has review authority for the design of private buildings in the part of Georgetown referred to as ``Old Georgetown'' in the act.

Residency requirements for certain government positions are found in federal, state and D.C. law, including for members of the National Capital Planning Commission. The primary reason such laws exist is so that government officials have a connection to the residents they serve and in-depth knowledge of the unique issues and challenges faced by residents.

I have also introduced the Commission of Fine Arts District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which would remove the authority of the CFA over non-federal real property in D.C. However, while the CFA maintains that authority, a majority of the members should be D.C. residents.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Courts Home Rule Act. This bill would give the Council of the District of Columbia authority over the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts. The D.C. Home Rule Act (HRA) expressly prohibits the Council from enacting any law with respect to any title 11 of the D.C. Code, which relates to the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts. Congress can correct this injustice to D.C. residents, who pay all federal taxes, by amending the HRA, even before D.C. becomes the 51st state.

Fifty years after passage of the HRA, matters involving the local D.C. courts almost never come to Congress, so Congress knows virtually nothing about D.C.'s local courts--and could not care less. Notwithstanding the importance of D.C.'s local courts to D.C. residents, the Council, which is the repository of knowledge and experience for D.C.'s criminal and civil justice systems and the body accountable to D.C. residents, is irresponsibly left on the sidelines while Congress remains the sole entity that may correct flaws in D.C.'s local courts.

Under the HRA, the Council has no authority to ``enact any act, resolution, or rule with respect to any provision of title 11 of the District of Columbia Code (relating to organization and jurisdiction of the District of Columbia courts).'' Matters in title 11 primarily relate to the rules of criminal and civil procedure, court administration, the branches of the courts, the rules of jury service and admission to the bar. This bill would strike this limitation on the Council's authority.

D.C. has never had authority over its local courts, even when it was responsible for paying for their operations. Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, the federal government assumed the costs for several state-level functions, including the courts. This bill would not change the courts' funding. This bill also would not change the authority of the President to nominate, or the Senate to confirm, local D.C. judges, which has been within their purview since the creation of the modern local court system in 1970.

This bill is an important step to increase democratic self-government for D.C. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment would allocate $10 million for research, development, test, and evaluation for the Space Force, with the intent that the funds be used for the Space Force Rocket Systems Launch Program. This funding would continue the ongoing single-stage- to-orbit propulsion research that we have funded over the past 3 years and ensure that the commercial space access provider supply chain is as large as possible.

Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 175th anniversary of Washington Gas, a leading provider of energy services in the national capital region.

In 1848, Congress passed, and President James Polk signed, an Act that chartered the Washington Gas Light Company, making Washington Gas the first congressionally chartered gas company in the country. Washington Gas was originally responsible for installing gas lights in the United States Capitol, the White House, and along Pennsylvania Avenue in the District of Columbia. Washington Gas expanded its service into Maryland and Virginia around the turn of the 20th century, and today provides energy to more than 1.2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the national capital region.

Over the years, Washington Gas and its employees have supported various nonprofit, community, civic, and charitable organizations. This support has enhanced the quality of life for countless individuals and families in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, providing millions of dollars for vocational training, job placements, and other paths to long-term employment, including more than $500,000 in scholarships for underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Since 2018 alone, Washington Gas' philanthropic programs and initiatives have contributed more than $7 million in local support. This funding has advanced programs that support healthy and safe communities.

Washington Gas employees have provided more than 140,000 hours of volunteer service since 2005 to organizations in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, including the Capital Area Food Bank, Special Olympics DC, Healthy Babies Project, The Latino Student Fund, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, INROADS, Junior Achievement, The March of Dimes, YMCA of Greater Washington, A Wider Circle, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF). Since 1983, WAFF has provided over $33 million to help more than 308,000 local families heat their homes during challenging times, no matter their heating source. Washington Gas pays all administrative fees to ensure that every WAFF dollar goes to a family in need.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Washington Gas on its 175th anniversary and thanking Washington Gas for its service to its customers and community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor the 100th anniversary of the chartering of the Mu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the eleventh alumni chapter of the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was founded on December 4, 1906, by 7 young African American men, known as the Seven Jewels, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The founders of the fraternity--Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle and Vertner Woodson Tandy--recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African Africans.

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the largest predominantly African American intercollegiate fraternity and 1 of the 10 largest intercollegiate fraternities in the Nation, with more than 850 chapters around the world. The fraternity is led by General President Dr. Willis L. Lonzer, III, Interim Executive Director Sean L. McCaskill, Comptroller Donald E. Jackson and General Treasurer Densel Fleming. Its Eastern Region and Mid-Atlantic Association of Alpha Chapters are led by Regional Vice President East Christopher G. Ellis, Jr., Regional Assistant Vice President East Tamir D. Harper, District VI Director Ray Hawkins, Jr., Assistant District VI Director Noah Absalon, and Area Director Michael Taylor.

The Mu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was established as the first alumni chapter in the District of Columbia on October 1, 1923, in response to the desire of graduate members, many of whom were initiated into the Beta Chapter at Howard University, to give aid to the undergraduate members and continue the work of the fraternity after graduation.

The Mu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity established the Mu Lambda Foundation in 1994 expressly to provide community service to residents of the District of Columbia and to inspire and assist today's youth in their quest to make their mark on society. For 100 years, the Mu Lambda Chapter has played a role in the positive development of the character and education of men. Six members of the Mu Lambda Chapter have served as the General President of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and two have served as the Eastern Region Vice President. Members of the Mu Lambda Chapter are leaders in the areas of government, business, entertainment, philanthropy, law, non-profit, science, sports, literature, armed services, religion and academia.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in commending the members of the Mu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, past and present, for their bond of friendship, common ideals and beliefs, and service to their community and in expressing our best wishes for the Mu Lambda Chapter's continued growth and success.