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OF FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR NEEDED HOUSING PROGRAMS.

CREATION OF THIS HOUSING AGENCY, HOWEVER, REQUIRED

ACTION BY THE CONGRESS DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY

HOME RULE. NO OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS NEEDED

CONGRESS' APPROVAL TO CREATE ITS AGENCY. A HOUSING

FINANCE AGENCY BILL TWICE PASSED THE HOUSE, BUT THE

SENATE DID NOT ACT. FINALLY, WITH THE THIRD PASSAGE OF

A BILL BY THE HOUSE, AND AFTER SEVERAL YEARS, THE SENATE

ACTED, THE AGENCY WAS CREATED, AND IT IS BEING

EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY USED BY THE DISTRICT

GOVERNMENT. ONE CAN ONLY GUESS AT THE LOSSES THE

DISTRICT AND LOCAL DEVELOPERS SUSTAINED DURING THIS

PERIOD OF INACTION. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF THE

DISTRICT HAD SENATORS, SUCH A COSTLY DELAY WOULD NEVER

HAVE OCCURRED.

DISTRICT IN CONGRESS. THE MAYOR AND D.C. COUNCIL VOTED

TO CONSTRUCT THE CENTER. THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS CAME

FROM THE DISTRICT'S BUDGET AND NOT THE FEDERAL BUDGET.

YET, DESPITE THIS COMMUNITY CONSENSUS, SOME

FEW SENATORS AND CONGRESS PEOPLE, FOR THEIR OWN NARROW

PAROCHIAL REASONS HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DISTRICT

OF COLUMBIA, HELD UP THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION, ADDING

UNTOLD COSTS TO THE PROJECT AND CAUSING THE LOSS OF

CONSIDERABLE INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AS A

RESULT OF THE DELAY. AGAIN, WITH SENATORS TO REPRESENT

US, THIS DELAY WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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LET ME ADDRESS THAT POINT MORE FORCEFULLY.

FOR YEARS MY CITY WAS RUN BY A SMALL GROUP OF WILLFUL

MEN WHO CHOSE TO BASE EVERY ACTION, OR MORE

APPROPRIATELY SAID, NON-ACTION, ON PLAYING TO THEIR MOST

BIGOTED CONSTITUENCIES BY TRYING TO OUT "SEG," THAT IS

TO BE MORE OF A SEGREGATIONIST THAN ANY LOCAL POLITICAL

OPPONENT IN THEIR HOME BASE. THEY PERPETRATED ON

WASHINGTON, D. C., RESIDENTS INDIGNITIES THAT WOULD NOT

EVEN BE TOLERATED IN THEIR HOME STATES BY THE GREAT BODY

OF THOSE VOTERS.

NOW THE ACTS OF INTERFERENCE AND INACTION ARE

MORE BENIGN, BUT TOO FREQUENTLY THEY OCCUR BECAUSE OF

SOME HOME STATE ISSUE THAT HAS NOTHING

ZERO

TO DO

WITH WHAT WE NEED HERE IN OUR BAILIWICK.

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, EVERY LAW PASSED BY THE

DISTRICT GOVERNMENT SINCE HOME RULE STOOD UNDER A CLOUD

DUE TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT'S DECISION IN I.N.S.

VERSUS CHADHA. THAT CASE HELD CONGRESSIONAL VETOES

UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND SINCE ALL D.C. LAWS WERE SUBJECT TO

CONGRESSIONAL VETOES, THEIR VALIDITY WAS IN DOUBT. ONCE

AGAIN, THE HOUSE ACTED SWIFTLY TO REMOVE THIS CLOUD, BUT

THE LEGISLATION WAS DELAYED FOR MANY MONTHS IN THE

SENATE. A SENATOR FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WOULD

HAVE PUSHED HIS OR HER COLLEAGUES AND AVOIDED THIS DELAY.

LAST YEAR IN THE WAKE OF THE HOUSE PASSED TAX

REFORM ACT, THE DISTRICT, ONCE AGAIN, FOUND ITSELF ABOUT

TO BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD BECAUSE IT IS NOT ON EQUAL

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FOOTING WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS.

PLANNED BOND ISSUES

BY SEVERAL OF OUR NON-PROFIT UNIVERSITIES AND HOSPITALS

WERE IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE THE CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW PERIOD

PREVENTED THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'S COUNCIL FROM ACTING

ON THE BOND ISSUES BEFORE A DATE THAT THREATENED TO

CHANGE THE TAX TREATMENT ON THOSE BONDS. CONGRESS DID

ACT, BUT DUE TO A CLERK'S ERROR, IT WAS REQUIRED TO ACT

TWICE TO SPARE THE DISTRICT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BONDS

HUNG UP IN SUSPENSION WHILE THE DISTRICT WAITED ON

CONGRESS. NO OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT FACED THIS

SITUATION.