>>
>> LET'S
>> LET'S CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION AND GO OFF SCRIPT 4@
WITH D.C. DELICATE ELINOR HARMS
NORTON AND ROGER PILON,
DIRECTOR OF THE CATO INSTITUTE
CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL
STUDIES AND 4@SERVED IN THE
REAGAN ADMINISTRATION.
REAGAN ADMINISTRATION. DELEGATE NORTON TO YOU FIRST
YOU HEARD CONGRESSMAN RASKIN
SAY MAYBE THERE IS A4@ COMPROMI
TO BE WORKED OUT COMBINING D.C.
SAY MAYBE THERE IS A4@ COMPROMI TO BE WORKED OUT COMBINING D.C.@
AND PUERTO RICO SOME HOW WOULD
YOU AGREE THE BILL AS WRITTEN
WOULD HAVE NO CHANCE IN THE
SENATE?
SENATE?
SENATE? >> I 4@DON'T AGREE TO ANY OF
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. HE
THAT. HE ALSO POINTED TO4@ A HALF A
DOZEN BILLS SITTING OVER THERE
NOT PASSED YET4@. WE DON'T PASS
LEGISLATIO4@N IN THE HOUSE SAYI
WELL IT'S NOT 4@PASS IT UNTIL W
AR4@E SURE WHAT THE SENATE IS
GOING TO DO.
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT4@ JAMIE, FOR
EXAMPLE, MEANS WHEN HE MENTIONS
PUERTO RICO.
PUERTO RICO. THE PROBLEM WITH PUERTO RICO 4@
LEAST AT THE MOMENT IS THAT
FIRST OF ALL THE MAY BE
ENTITLED TO FIVE OR SIX STATES
AND THEY DON'T PAY ANY FEDERAL
INCOME TAXES.
INCOME TAXES. SITTING OVER HERE DAY ONE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL
HAPPEN AT THE END4@ TO KEEP
ANYTHING FROM PASSING IN THE
HOUSE THIS IS HISTORIC.
WE ARE GOING TO PASS A BILL TO
MAKE THE DISTRICT THE 51st STATE
IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
REPRESENTATIVES. THAT HAS NEVER4@ HAPPENED BEFOR
AND GUESS WHAT ALMOST
EVERYTHING THAT IS NOW PENDING @
IN THE SENATE HAS NEVER
HAPPENED BEFORE. 4@
YOU DO YOUR STRATEGIES HOUSE BY
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
HOUSE. YOU DO YOUR HOUSE STRATEGY WHEN
HE GETS TO THE SENATE YOU HAVE
TO TRY TO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY. THE WORST THING4@ YOU CAN DO IS
LOOK AT HOW THE LAST THEY GOT
IN AND SAY 4@THAT'S IT FOLKS.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET4@
INTO THE UNION.
NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING
INTO THE UNION. NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING@
ABOUT WHEN HE SAYS THIS CAN'T
POSSIBLY BE DONE BECAUSE IF
THAT IS THE CASE 4@THEN OF COUR
THAT IS THE CASE FOR EVERY4@
PENDING BILL IN THE SENATE
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. >>
TODAY. >> ROGER YOU AGREE THIS BILL
HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF PASSING IN
THE HOUSE.
THE HOUSE. WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN
NEXT?
NEXT?
NEXT? >>
NEXT? >> IT WOULD GO TO THE SENATE 4@
AND THERE WOULD DIE BECAUSE THE
POLITICAL REASONS YOU SPOKE OF
EARLIER. 4@
EARLIER. 4@ THERE SIMPLY IS NO SUPPORT OUT
IN THE COUNTRY FOR THIS4@.
MOREOVER IT WOULD TAKE A
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS MOS@
LEGAL SCHOLARS AGREE.
>> SO CONGRESSMAN RASKIN
DISAGREED.
DISAGREED. >> YES I KNOW HE DID I DEBATED
HIM MORE THEN ONCE.
WE ARE VERY FAR APART AND I AM
NOT SURPRISED HE TAKES THIS
POSITION.
POSITION.
POSITION. IT WOULD TAKE A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT BECAUSE THE
CONSTITUTION IS QUITE CLEAR4@.
THE CLAUSE IN ARTICLE ONE
SECTION EIGHT THE ENCLAVES4@
CLAUSE PROVIDES FOR THE
CREATION OF THE DISTRICT NO
MORE THEN4@ 10 MILES SQUARE FOR
THE SEAT OF THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. ALMOST CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH
THE RATIFICATION 4@OF THE
CONSTITUTION, CONGRESS PASSED
JUST SUCH A MEASURE IN IT WAS
CREATED. 4@
CREATED. 4@ THE PROPONENTS OF THE SAY THAT
THEY SAID NO GREATER THEN
THER4@EFORE THEY WANT TO REDUCE
THEY SAID NO GREATER THEN THER4@EFORE THEY WANT TO REDUCE@
THE SIZE OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
TO A TINY ENCLAVE AROUND THE
NATIONAL MALL THAT WOULD
INCLUDE MAY BE THE SUPREME
COURT BUILDING, THE HOUSE 4@AND
SO FORTH AND THEN TURN THE REST
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
INTO THIS NEW STATE. 4@
DON'T THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
WANT TO SEE THE NATION'S
CAPITAL REDUCED TO SUCH A TINY
SECTION OF THE CURRENT DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA.
OF COLUMBIA. >> 4@DELEGATE NORTON I UNDERSTA
WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM.
I'M TRYING TO JUMP 13 STEPS 4@
DOWN THE ROAD AND YOU HAVEN'T
EVEN PASSED WHEN YOU.
CERTAINLY WE UNDERSTAND THE
POLITICAL REALITIES OF WHAT IT
WOULD TAKE TO MAKE D.C. THE
51st STATE.
51st STATE. IS T4@HERE ANYTHING LESS THEN
ACCEPTABLE THEN MAKING D.C. THE
IS T4@HERE ANYTHING LESS THEN ACCEPTABLE THEN MAKING D.C. THE@
51st STATE?
51st STATE? >> WHEN YOUR DISTRICT AND MOST
STATES 4@WERE DISTRICTS BEFORE,
OUR NUMBER 1 IN FEDERAL TAXES
4@PAID TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMEN
OF THE UNITED STATES, IT IS
KIND OF AN INSULT TO SAY HEY
PEOPLE WHY NOT TAKE SOMETHING
THAT ARE TWO STATES4@ WITH
POPULATION LESS THEN HOURS OR
SIX STATES ABOUT THE SIZE OF
THE 4@DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
THE MATTER OF CONSTITUTIONALITY
HAS NEVER BEEN LITIGATED. 4@
THE FACT IS MOST STATES HAVE
GONE INTO THE UNION THE SAME
WAY WE ARE TRYING TO GET INTO
THE UNION, THROUGH THE CONGRESS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAVE LEFT IN PLACE WHAT
WOULD BE, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION
SAYS.
SAYS.
SAYS. THE
SAYS. THE PLACES IN THE MIDDLE WHICH
IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
>> ROGER I WANT TO LEAVE IT
WITH YOU REAL QUICK WILL LAST
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. CERTAINLY YOU AGREE THE FRAMERS
NEVER INTENDED A POPULATION
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES WOULD
BE DISENFRANCHISED FROM HAVING
A VOTE IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
>> I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE THEY PROVIDED FOR THE
CONSTITUTION FOR THE WAY THEY
DID.
DID.
DID. WEATHER THEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT
OR NOT WHO CAN SAY THAT THE
FACT IS NOT ONLY WOULD YOU HAVE
TO HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO GET
THIS BUT YOU WILL HAVE 4@TO AME
THE CONSTITUTION FURTHER WITH
RESPECT TO THE 23rd AMENDMENT.
>> WHICH GAVE D.C. THE RIGHT TO
VOTE I4@N THE PRESIDENTIAL
CONTEST.
CONTEST.
CONTEST. AND EASILY DEALT WITH BECAUSE
IT WOULD BE ERADICATED AND
STATES WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO
ERADICATED.
ERADICATED. >> THIS IS A 4@DI4@SCUSSION
CERTAINLY NOT GOING AWAY AS YOU
POINTED OUT, DELEGATE NORTON,
D.C. 4@HAS COME FARTHER THEN TH
HAVE PERHAPS IN THE PAST.