Norton Optimistic on Early Passage of DC House Voting Rights Act (3/27/09)
Norton Optimistic on Early Passage of D.C. House Voting Rights Act
March 27, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Congresswoman today released the following statement today on the status of the D.C. Voting Rights Act:
"Our D.C. House Voting Rights bill could come to the floor at any time. I am pleased that there are a lot of people working to get it done, especially more and more of my House colleagues. There are no promises yet from Democratic leaders on a specific day, but the commitment to D.C. voting rights, especially on the part of our Democratic leadership with whom I am in contact almost daily and our Democratic members, is so strong, I still see early passage.
What is increasingly clear, however, is that almost no one in the House has read the gun amendment proposed by the NRA to be added to the bill. I believe that even my pro-gun colleagues, who are also our strongest pro-defense, pro-homeland security members, would never sanction unwinding the hard work that has been done since our region was hit on 9/11. In particular, I am pleased that the gun amendment has pro-gun "Blue Dog" colleagues continuing to come forward, expressing to me their willingness to vote for a clean Rule for our bill. They voted overwhelmingly for the bill last session, and our "Blue Dogs" want to vote for it again this session."