Members of Congress letter to Newt Gingrich, April 19, 1995

Congress of tfje ®niteb States! aSasrtjinjjton, J0C 20515 April 19, 1995 The Honorable Newt Gingrich Speaker, U. S. House of Representatives H232, The Capitol Washington, D. C. 20515 Dear Mr. Speaker: The purpose of this letter is to convey to you our collective concern over published reports that you have proposed making the District of Columbia the Ninth Congressional District of Maryland, thereby giving District residents voting representatives in Congress as well as the U. S. Senate. We believe that this proposal, if implemented, would have a dire impact on the governmental process in our state. Maryland’s unique political history dates back over 360 years. Since Maryland originally ceded the land on which the District of Columbia was built back in the 1 8th century, the two entities have developed entirely different political personalities. Merging these two disparate communities together would fundamentally alter Maryland’s political landscape in a way that is wholly inconsistent with our state’s political traditions. It would also deny Washingtonians the sense of independence for which they have always fought. The proposal would also establish a dangerous precedent by establishing a quasi- jurisdictional, schizophrenic relationship between Maryland and the District of Columbia— the likes of which have never before been seen in the history of American politics. District residents would have the right to vote for Maryland’s Senators while— at the same time— be exempt from Maryland state income tax or Maryland state laws. It is highly likely that Maryland would be nonetheless expected to assume from the federal government more of the fiscal burden for Washington— despite the fact that the District would remain an independently operating entity. Given Maryland’s own budgetary needs and limited resources, it would be unfair to our citizens and those of the District to impose mandates on us that we simply cannot meet.