Norton Request to Testify Denied, Will Hold Press Conference Tomorrow

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the denial of her request to testify, the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that Norton will hold a press conference tomorrow in advance of tomorrow's House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice's hearing on a bill (H.R. 7) that would, among other things, permanently prohibit the District of Columbia from spending its local funds on abortion services for low-income women, and define the D.C. government as part of the federal government for the purposes of abortion. At the press conference, Norton will be joined by D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

On Tuesday, Norton wrote to Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ), Chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, requesting the courtesy to testify. However, Franks failed to observe congressional courtesy to allow the Congresswoman to testify at a hearing on a bill that contains provisions that uniquely targets her district, as he did on this same bill in the last Congress.

WHO: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice

WHAT: Press Conference

WHERE: 234 Cannon House Office Building

WHEN: Tomorrow, Thursday, January 9 at 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (prior to the 10:00 a.m. hearing on H.R. 7)