Norton Pledges to Defeat Wicker Bill to Permanently Ban Local D.C. Funding for Abortion
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today condemned a bill introduced by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) to permanently prohibit the District of Columbia from spending its local funds that have been approved by Congress on abortion services for low-income women. The bill, S. 184, is the Senate companion bill to H.R. 7, introduced by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), which is expected to go to the House floor tomorrow. The Wicker bill also permanently bans federal funding for abortion, prohibits D.C. and federal government employees from providing abortions, prohibits abortions in D.C. and federal government facilities, and defines the D.C. government as part of the federal government for purposes of abortion. Wicker has previously introduced the anti-choice bill in the 112th, 113th, 114th Congresses, and each time the Senate did not take the bill up for a vote.
"Senator Wicker has made attacking women's constitutionally-protected reproductive rights and D.C. home rule an early tradition each Congress," Norton said. "Each Congress, we have worked with our allies in the Senate and around the nation to prevent a vote on this national anti-choice bill, which also singles out the District's local funds and treats our local government like a federal agency. We intend to fight and defeat this latest attack on women and D.C. home rule and to be successful as we have in the past."