Skip to main content

Norton on Panel for 40th Anniversary of Home Rule Act, Today

April 17, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will participate in a panel discussion marking the 40th Anniversary of the Home Rule Act today, April 17, 2014, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the National Archives (7th St. and Constitution Ave. NW). In addition to Norton, the panelists will include former Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA); Sharon Pratt, former District of Columbia Mayor; Miles Mark Fisher, former President of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC); Virginia Howard, professor of History at UDC; and Jerome Paige, economist. The panel will discuss the evolution of D.C. home rule leading up to the current status of the District. The discussion will be followed by questions from the audience.

"As we try in the Congress to protect the incomplete self-government the Congress gave the city in 1973, it will be interesting to join this forum to look closely at the D.C. Home Rule Act, what we have achieved since, and the distance we still must cover," Norton said. "It has been difficult to move to actual equality with other jurisdictions and often to keep the home rule we have. I hope this forum leads D.C. residents and elected officials to use this 40th anniversary year to find new ways to achieve expanded home rule to include all the elements of self-government commensurate with other U.S. jurisdictions."

In a significant step for home rule, last week, Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), the chair of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over D.C., introduced companion bills to Norton's budget autonomy and legislative autonomy bills. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which has jurisdiction over D.C., is a co-sponsor of both bills. The bills continue the momentum for budget and legislative autonomy – two key elements of home rule. President Obama included language in his fiscal year 2015 budget that would grant the District budget and legislative autonomy, and had the strongest and most comprehensive call for local D.C. autonomy in a President's budget ever. In addition, Norton got a District of Columbia shutdown-avoidance provision included in the fiscal year 2014 omnibus appropriations bill, allowing the city to spend its local funds and remain open in the event of a federal government shutdown in fiscal year 2015. The provision guarantees that, for the first time ever, D.C. will avoid a local government shutdown for an entire fiscal year. In addition, no action has been taken to overturn the budget autonomy referendum approved by D.C. voters. Furthermore, the Senate Appropriations Committee included a budget autonomy provision in its committee-passed fiscal year 2014 D.C. Appropriations bill. Last year, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed Chairman Darrell Issa's (R-CA) bill that has major elements of budget autonomy. He and Norton are working to perfect final language.

Published: April 17, 2014