Norton Questions Bush on D.C. Voting Rights - 2/15/2007

Norton Questions Bush on D.C. Voting Rights
February 15, 2007

Washington, DC--With other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) met with President Bush today and used the opportunity to discuss pending D.C. voting rights legislation. She told the President he should beware of the constitutional issues recently raised about the bill because they have been answered with detailed testimony by well recognized constitutional scholars, including former Court of Appeals Judge Kenneth Starr and Professor Viet Dinh, former Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy in the President's administration. Norton said that, and the President seemed surprised to learn of this testimony. The Congresswoman also reminded the President that D.C. residents were serving and had died in the Iraq war and told him that considering his own work to spread democracy and voting rights in the world, she hoped he would not veto a vote for Utah and D.C. if the bill was passed by Congress. Bush told Norton that he would take a look at the bill once it is passed. Norton noted that this response was more positive than in the past, and told the President's Press Secretary, Tony Snow, who was also at the meeting.