[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 59 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE SERVICE ACADEMIES DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA EQUALITY ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 4, 2022

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Service Academies 
District of Columbia Equality Act, which would give the District of 
Columbia the same number of appointments and nominations to the U.S. 
service academies as states. Currently, each Member of the House and 
each senator is allocated five appointments to each service academy--
the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air 
Force Academy--and each Member of the House and each senator is allowed 
10 nominations for each appointment. Therefore, since D.C. has no 
senators, D.C. is deprived of 10 appointments and, assuming all 
appointments are vacant, 100 nominations to each service academy.
  This bill would provide equality for D.C. residents who choose to 
serve their country by applying to a service academy. It is remarkable 
that D.C. residents volunteer to serve a country that denies them 
statehood, congressional voting rights and full home rule. District 
residents have fought in every American war, and our residents, who pay 
all federal taxes, including paying more federal taxes per capita than 
the residents of any state, deserve to have the same opportunity to 
attend our prestigious service academies as residents of the states.
  The District's population (690,000) is larger than that of two states 
and is in line with the six states that have a population under one 
million. D.C. servicemembers have helped secure voting rights for 
people throughout the world, yet have always been denied those same 
rights when they returned home. District residents deserve equality at 
the service academies.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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