♪♪
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
MY NEXT GUEST HAS SPENT 30 YEARS IN CONGRESS REPRESENTING THE
PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON D.C. AND FIGHTING FOR STATEHOOD FOR THE
DISTRICT.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE LATE SHOW, CONGRESSWOMAN ELEANOR
HOLMES NORTON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪
>> Stephen: HELLO, NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Stephen: NOW, BIG MILESTONE THIS WEEK -- YOU HAVE BEEN
WORKING FOR MONTHS TO GET THE FENCING AROUND THE CAPITOL
REMOVED.
A, WHY WAS THAT SO IMPORTANT TO YOU AND, B, DO YOU THINK YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO NEED IT AGAIN?
( LAUGHTER ) >> WELL, STEPHEN, WE HAVE
RETRACTABLE -- THERE'S GOING TO BE RETRACTABLE FENCING BENEATH
THE GROUND SO THAT, IF YOU NEED FENCING AGAIN, IT WILL COME UP.
>> Stephen: IT WILL JUST POP UP WHEN YOU SEE THE MOB?
( LAUGHTER ) >> SO TO SPEAK.
WE DON'T WANT OUR CAPITOL FENCED IN.
WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DOES THAT SEND TO THE WORLD?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IT DEFINITELY
LOOKS BETTER.
IN THE 1960s, YOU FOUGHT WITH PEOPLE LIKE JOHN LEWIS FOR CIVIL
RIGHTS AND FOR VOTING RIGHTS FOR BLACK PEOPLE.
RIGHT NOW, BILLS ARE BEING PASSED ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY
THAT WILL EFFECTIVELY DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE,
ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN MINORITY AREAS OR MINORITY DISTRICTS.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING THESE
RESTRICTIVE NEW VOTING LAWS?
>> STEPHEN, MY MESSAGE IS THAT LOOK WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST
ELECTION.
AT THE LAST ELECTION, PEOPLE CAME OUT IN RECORD NUMBERS.
SO MY MESSAGE IS YOU CAN'T STOP US FROM VOTING.
IN FACT, YOU'RE GOING TO REALLY MAKE US MAD AND REALLY MAKE US
GO AND VOTE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT.
I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT.
( APPLAUSE ) NOW, SPEAKING OF NOT VOTING,
YOU'RE THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.
SO YOU GET TO TALK BUT YOU JUST DON'T GET TO VOTE.
>> JUST A MOMENT, STEPHEN -- >> Stephen: YES.
-- I GET TO VOTE IN COMMITTEE.
I DON'T GET TO CAST THAT FINAL VOTE ON THE HOUSE FLOOR, AND
THAT'S WHAT I'M WORKING FOR AS I SPEAK.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU HAVE WORKED FOR YEARS TO MAKE D.C. A
STATE, WHICH MAKES COMPLETE SENSE, BOTH VERMONT AND WYOMING
HAVE FEWER PEOPLE THAN IT IS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
SO IT SEEMS ODD MY ANTI-AMERICAN TO HAVE REPRESENTATION WITHOUT
TAXATION.
YOU ALSO PROMISED ME IN 2009 THAT IF D.C. BECAME A STATE, YOU
WOULD GIVE ME A KEY TO THE CITY.
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR ME TO GET
THAT KEY?
WHAT'S THE PROCESS WHERE D.C.
WOULD BECOME A STATE?
WHAT ACTUALLY HAS TO HAPPEN?
I KNOW THE HOUSE HAS PASSED A RESOLUTION.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
>> SO YOU ALMOST HAVE A KEY.
( LAUGHTER ) BECAUSE THE HOUSE HAS PASSED THE
BILL TO MAKE THE DISTRICT THE 51st STATE.
AND WE HAVE HAD A HEARING IN THE SENATE WHICH PUTS US CLOSE TO
PASSAGE IN BOTH HOUSES.
SO, STEPHEN, YOUR KEY IS ON THE WAY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK, BUT PLEASE STICK AROUND BECAUSE WE'LL BE BACK
WITH MORE CONGRESSWOMAN ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪