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Norton Gets Commitment from Republican Oversight Committee Leaders on Overreach into D.C. Affairs

January 31, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she was encouraged by the comments of Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR) Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and OGR Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC), who said at an OGR committee markup today they would work with her when the committee considers local District of Columbia issues. Norton had filed an amendment to remove a broad provision in the Committee's Authorization and Oversight Plan for the 115th Congress that appeared to imply an intention to intrude more deeply into D.C. home-rule matters than had been the tradition of the Committee. However, following the Congresswoman's objections, the committee conversation was so productive that Norton withdrew her request for a roll call vote on her amendment. For example, Chairman Chaffetz noted that the Committee document was an oversight plan, not a legislative plan. Norton thanked OGR Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) for forcefully supporting D.C. home rule during the markup. She said she was particularly grateful to Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), a former OGR chairman, who committed to working with Norton on ways to protect D.C. home rule, as he did when he was chairman during the 112th and 113th Congresses.

"During today's committee discussion, I did not hear remarks about the need for more scrutiny into the operations of the District of Columbia government," Norton said. "Instead, I was pleased by the collegial conversation we had today at the markup, where Republicans, including Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Mark Meadows, committed to working with me to find more common ground when D.C. issues arise in the Congress. I appreciate Chairman Chaffetz and Subcommittee Chairman Meadows' willingness to having an open dialogue on how we can work together to balance respect for D.C. home rule with traditional committee oversight over the District."