[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 26 (Thursday, March 1, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          REGARDING THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA RETROCESSION ACT

  (Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H.R. 810 to retrocede 
the District of Columbia to the State of Maryland, minus the Federal 
portion of the city. The city has the bumper slogan of ``taxation 
without representation.'' This bill will provide taxation with 
representation for the residents of D.C. I think that this would be a 
great move forward for the people of this community. It would give them 
access to all the services of the State of Maryland and also an 
opportunity to elect a Congressperson, to vote on two United States 
Senators and to vote on members of the State legislature in Maryland.
  The retrocession would create the fourth largest regional market in 
the United States between Baltimore and Washington. Does it work? In 
Canada there is a prime example of how this proposal could and would 
work. Its capital, Ottawa, lies in the province of Ontario and sends 
representatives to the provincial parliament in Ontario as well as the 
federal parliament as part of the Ontario delegation. It works very 
well for our neighbor Canada and I think it would work very well for 
the United States. Most importantly, it would give the people of the 
District of Columbia the right to vote, to have taxation with 
representation.
  Mr. Speaker, two hundred years have passed since District of Columbia 
residents lost their right to vote. Despite the ratification of the 
23rd Amendment in 1961, which returned their right to vote for 
President, District residents still lack voting representation on the 
floor of Congress. To increase national awareness of this situation, 
the District recently changed the slogan on its automobile license 
plates to read ``Taxation Without Representation.''
  Today, I am once again introducing a bill that I strongly believe is 
the best solution to this problem, especially given the failure of 
other alternatives. This legislation would return the District of 
Columbia, barring a small federal enclave, to the State of Maryland.
  The District of Columbia was originally comprised of territory ceded 
by the states of Virginia and Maryland. The Virginia portion was 
retroceded back to that state in 1846. Under this bill, the remaining 
territory, excluding a small enclave encompassing the White House, 
Congress, the Supreme Court and most executive agencies, would be 
returned to Maryland.
  Retrocession would be mutually beneficial for both the District and 
the State of Maryland. It would finally give District residents a 
voting U.S. Representatives as well as two U.S. Senators. In addition, 
they would have further representation on the state level in Maryland. 
Beyond these political gains, District residents would stand to benefit 
from Maryland's larger and more established state infrastructure of 
facilities, services and assistance programs.
  Maryland stands to gain as well. It most certainly would receive an 
additional seat in the House of Representatives, thus increasing its 
influence in Congress. Economically, Maryland would gain an area that 
boasts the nation's 2nd highest per capita income. Retrocession would 
create the 4th largest regional market in the country between Baltimore 
and Washington.
  Canada offers a prime example of how this proposal could and would 
work. Its capital, Ottawa, lies in the province of Ontario and sends 
representatives to the provincial parliament in Toronto as well as the 
federal parliament as part of the Ontario delegation.
  We need to come up with a practical and realistic solution to restore 
the full democratic rights of District residents. Efforts to give the 
District delegate full voting rights have not succeeded. I believe this 
legislation is the only reasonable option left to end Taxation Without 
Representation in the nation's capital.

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