Schumer: It's "Bigotry" To Say Ask What "Real People" Think Of D.C. Statehood

SCHUMER: Some of my colleagues on the other side rather than fashion any argument on the merits have taken to denigrating the basic worth of residents of the District of Columbia, a part of our country that's 47% African-American. One member of the minority party went as far as to say lawmakers should, quote, "go out where the real people are across the country and ask them what they think about D.C. statehood." Get out to where the "real people are." Bigotry. Bigotry. Bigotry.

I shouldn’t have to remind my colleagues that it’s shockingly inappropriate to imply that lives and occupations and rights of D.C. residents are somehow less than their fellow citizens in other more ‘real’ and almost always more white parts of the country.

We all know that the minority party opposes D.C. statehood because it fears giving political power and representation to American citizens if they might not vote for Republicans.