House Approves D.C. Budget After Norton's Urgent Call for Passage on the Floor Today

WASHINGTON, DC – With the District of Columbia government left by the federal government shutdown to depend exclusively upon its previously appropriated contingency reserve fund, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) went to the House floor again today to leave no doubt about the urgency of passing legislation to permit the District to spend its local funds during the federal government shutdown. Norton was able to get the bill passed by a voice vote by persuading Democratic members that a recorded vote would only split the Democratic strategy of lining solidly up against piecemeal bills, instead of a clean continuing resolution. Yesterday, the Republicans asked for a vote, appearing to put the Democrats, the usual pro-D.C. rights party, on the defensive, but today Norton was able to prevail on both sides for a voice vote. Although the bill yesterday received a majority (265 yeas – 163 nays), it did not receive the two-thirds necessary to pass under the House procedure used. Norton is still trying to get the Senate and the administration to understand that Congress has, as she said on her remarks on the floor today, "no right to leave our local budget sticking up like a sore thumb among federal appropriations. It's our money, not yours."

"The original sin was requiring the local budget to come here in the first place," Norton continued. "Do not compound that original sin by simply throwing D.C. into the pile with federal appropriations, and pretending that they are the same. You have no right to pull a defenseless city into a federal boxing match. You have no right to use the good name of the people of the District of Columbia alongside federal appropriations no matter how wonderful they are. Those appropriations depend upon your funding. The eight billion dollars is the city's funding."

Published: October 2, 2013