[D.C. Statehood News]
Congresswoman Norton: “Beyond the veterans and residents living in the District who have fought for D.C. statehood for some time, our thriving business community understands well the benefits of statehood.”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton says Thursday’s statehood legislation House hearing is supported by business and employment leaders.
Two days before the historic House hearing on statehood for the District of Columbia, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that several major businesses and employers have endorsed the Washington, D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51).
The businesses include some of the key employers and employer organizations in the District, such as the Federal City Council, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the D.C. Hospital Association, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington, the District of Columbia Building Industry Association, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, and the Hotel Association of Washington, D.C.
Congresswoman Norton will place in the record at Thursday’s hearing endorsements not only from the business community, but from many national and local organizations.
“Beyond the veterans and residents living in the District who have fought for D.C. statehood for some time, our thriving business community understands well the benefits of statehood,” Norton said. “These endorsements could not be clearer: there is a clear economic case for statehood in allowing our economy to grow and to attract new employers and revenue.”
In their statement, the businesses write: “There is a clear economic and business case for statehood. It would allow the region to better represent its large federal workforce and secure critically important funding for transportation systems like Metro. A voting DC Congressional delegation would have more input on Congressional legislation that impacts the local economy and the city’s large tracts of federally owned land. Statehood would also make the city a more attractive place to live and do business.”
