Norton Introduces Bill to Redesignate D.C. Mayor as Governor and D.C. Council as Legislative Assembly

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today reintroduced the District of Columbia Government Title Equality Act, which would redesignate the Mayor of the District of Columbia as the Governor, the D.C. Council as the Legislative Assembly, the D.C. Councilmembers as Representatives, and the Chair of the Council as the Speaker. These are the titles used in the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth constitution, which the District adopted in 2016 in anticipation of passage of a bill to make D.C. the 51st state. Norton introduced the bill to highlight to the American people and Members of Congress that there would be a seamless transition to D.C. statehood because D.C. residents pay full federal taxes and D.C. operates as the functional equivalent of a state, providing state-, county- and city-level services, despite being denied voting representation in the House and Senate and full local self-government.

"While members of Congress from distant states have always tried to interfere in D.C.'s local laws and regulations, this bill is particularly important at a time when six members have tried to block D.C. vaccine policies this Congress," Norton said. "Changing the titles of key governmental figures highlights the fact that D.C. already operates as the functional equivalent of a state, despite being denied voting representation in Congress and full local self-government."

This bill would not change any legal authorities.

In addition to introducing her bill to grant D.C. statehood, Norton has introduced bills to reduce the federal government's control over local D.C. matters and to expand D.C. equality. This bill is the 22nd bill Norton has introduced this Congress in her Free and Equal D.C. Series.

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