Monday, during the House Oversight Hearing on D.C. Statehood Legislation, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) argued in favor of granting the nation’s capital statehood.
Tlaib argued that opposing statehood for Washington, D.C. is telling “over 700,000 Americans to sit down, shut up and enjoy this authoritarian system implemented by a bunch of elites who thought it was OK to enslave people.” She added it is “shameful” anyone would oppose statehood for D.C. while also claiming to support democracy and freedom.
“If you oppose D.C statehood, you support taxation without representation,” Tlaib emphasized after pointing out how Washington, D.C. residents paid $27.5 billion in federal taxes in the fiscal year 2019. She asserted that amount is more than 22 other states and territories paid in that same time frame.
“In opposing D.C. statehood, which is overwhelmingly supported by the people of Washington, these representatives and their dark money backers over at the Heritage Foundation — that’s right — are telling over 700,000 Americans to sit down, shut up and enjoy this authoritarian system implemented by a bunch of elites who thought it was OK to enslave people for their selfish monetary gain hundreds of years ago,” she added. “It is shameful that anyone would claim to support democracy and freedom and oppose statehood.”
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