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Norton Announces Postponement of D.C. Statehood Hearing Due to Mueller Hearing Scheduling Conflict

July 13, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that the House Oversight and Reform Committee's hearing on Norton's District of Columbia statehood bill (H.R. 51), scheduled for July 24, has been postponed until the fall, likely in September, due to yesterday's announcement that former special counsel Robert Mueller will now be testifying on his investigation before two House committees on July 24.

"Our statehood hearing is essential to move our bill to passage, but it serves another important purpose as well," Norton said. "This hearing will inform people of what most do not know – that the residents of their nation's capital do not have full voting rights in the House and have no representation in the Senate. We will use this postponement to nationalize our efforts, giving national attention to the disenfranchisement of D.C. residents and to continue to build support for the bill in the House, Senate and across the country. I appreciate that Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings, a statehood champion, has agreed to my request to postpone the hearing."

Norton's bill has a record 213 voting cosponsors. More than 100 groups have endorsed the bill. The hearing in the fall will be the first House hearing on D.C. statehood since Norton got the first-ever floor vote in 1993.

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