Norton Calls Out Republicans for Hypocrisy on D.C. After House Budget Endorses Local Control Elsewhere

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) called out Republicans for "bright-light hypocrisy" on the District of Columbia after the House Budget Committee today released its fiscal year 2018 budget resolution, which stresses the importance of reducing the power of the federal government and empowering state and local governments. The budget, under the heading "Rebuilding the Proper Role of State and Local Governments," says: "For too long, our political system has taken a top-down approach to governing… The federal government…mandates too much" and "has been usurping the role of the states and of local governments." The budget was released less than a week after the House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill that would prohibit the District from spending its local funds on marijuana commercialization and abortions for low-income women, as well as repeal D.C.'s medical aid-in-dying law and budget autonomy referendum.

"It is impossible to reconcile House Republicans' outspoken support for local control of local affairs with their undemocratic, authoritarian interference with the District's local affairs," Norton said. "Republicans are completely unpersuasive to suggest, as they do, that local control stops at the District's borders because Congress has constitutional authority to legislate for the District. Congress has the power to legislate on the federal issues that concern Republicans, too, yet their budget calls for the federal government to reduce its role and give more power to state and local governments, regardless of constitutional authority to address issues such as health care. That goes double for the District of Columbia."