00:00Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this bill.
00:08The more than 700,000 District of Columbia residents are capable and worthy of self-government.
00:16I ask unanimous consent to submit into the record letters from the D.C. Mayor and the D.C. Council opposing this bill.
00:24Without objection to order.
00:26This bill would repeal police discipline provisions in D.C.'s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act.
00:34Last Congress, Republicans introduced seven bills or amendments to nullify or prohibit D.C. from carrying that law or police discipline provisions thereof.
00:54Let's discuss the justification and timing of this bill, though it is always wrong and never the right time for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters.
01:08The text of this bill says repealing the police discipline provisions is necessary to combat rising violence in D.C. and to improve retention and recruitment of police officers.
01:22This committee may not be aware that violent crime reached a more than 30 year low in D.C. last year and is down 21% this year.
01:36This committee also may not be aware that police departments of all sizes in both red and blue states throughout the country are struggling to retain and recruit officers.
01:52And they have been doing that for many years.
01:58The timing of the introduction and markup of this bill is stunning.
02:04This bill was introduced three days after House Republicans passed a continuing resolution that cut D.C.'s local budget by $1 billion.
02:14That act of fiscal sabotage which did not save the federal government any money has led to a freeze on overtime hiring and pay rises raises and furloughs or layoffs may be next.
02:36Next, nine weeks ago today, the Senate passed the D.C. Local Funds Act to reverse the cut.
02:44The D.C. Local Funds Act is just sitting in the House like President Trump and the National Fraternal Order of Police.
02:54I call on the House to pass immediately the D.C. Local Funds Act.
02:59This committee also may not be aware that the D.C. Police Department supported removing discipline from collective bargaining, eliminating the 90-day statute of limitations on discipline and allowing the police chief to increase proposed discipline.
03:23I will close by discussing democracy or the lack thereof in D.C.
03:32The Revolutionary War was forced to give consent to the government and end taxation without representation.
03:39Yet D.C. residents cannot consent to any action taken by Congress, whether on local D.C. or federal matters.
03:50And they pay full federal taxes while being denied voting representation in the Congress.
03:57If Republicans cared about D.C. or democracy instead of playing city council, this committee today would be marking up the D.C. Statehood Bill, H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act.
04:15Congress has the authority to admit the residential and commercial areas of D.C. as a state.
04:22It simply lacks the will.
04:25I yield back.
04:26General Lee yields back.
04:28And I want to publicly say again, after being mentioned by Representative Litch and Norton, that like President Trump, I strongly support the D.C. local government funds fix.
04:43So.
04:44Does any other member wish to speak on this bill?
04:52No.
04:53No.
04:54No.
04:55No.
04:56No.
04:57No.
04:58No.
04:59No.
05:00No.
05:01No.
05:02No.
05:03No.
05:04No.
05:05No.
05:06No.
05:07No.
05:08No.
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