Norton Says National Backlash to Indiana Discriminatory Law Gives Momentum for Defeating Cruz Disapproval Resolutions on D.C. Anti-Discrimination Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that the national backlash to the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which allows discrimination in the name of religion, gives momentum to her fight to defeat Senator Ted Cruz's (R-TX) resolutions that would block two anti-discrimination bills recently passed by the District of Columbia Council from taking effect. Cruz and his far-right allies claim the two D.C. bills violate the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which applies uniquely to D.C. and is similar to the new Indiana law. The D.C. bills are the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act, which prohibits employers in D.C. from discriminating against employees based on their personal reproductive health decisions, and the Human Rights Amendment Act, which protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students from discrimination by educational institutions in the District.

"The national opposition to Indiana's discriminatory law has been remarkable and demonstrates that the American people will not allow LGBT individuals and other citizens to endure discrimination in the name of religious freedom," Norton said. "The fight in Indiana is similar to the one we are waging in the District of Columbia, except the tables are turned. The D.C. Council passed two bills to protect our residents from discrimination, but those are under attack by Senator Ted Cruz. The bills will do no more than protect D.C. residents from discrimination by their employers because of their reproductive health decisions and students from discrimination for their sexual orientation at their own schools and universities. We do not intend to allow religion to be pitted against the right of individuals to be free from discrimination. The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that religious rights should be accommodated where they do not nullify the rights of others. Indiana seeks to deny protection to LGBT Americans in the name of religion, not to accommodate religious rights. Senator Cruz similarly would give employers in D.C. license to discriminate against employees based on their personal reproductive choices if the employer happens to object to those choices. In the case of LGBT students that the District seeks to protect from discrimination, Georgetown University, for example, has avoided discriminating against LGBT students while adhering to the university's strong Catholic traditions. The objections to Indiana's discriminatory law, patterned on laws from an earlier period, show how far the country has come in no longer allowing the rights of the LGBT community to be trumped on religious or other grounds. I would urge Indiana to reconsider their radical discriminatory law to accommodate the equal treatment of LGBT citizens under the law."

Under the Home Rule Act of 1973, all D.C. bills must be transmitted to Congress for a review period before they can take effect. The anti-discrimination bills were transmitted for a 30-legislative-day review period on March 6, 2015. A bill takes effect at the expiration of the review period unless a resolution of disapproval is enacted into law during that period. Norton has prevented a disapproval resolution from being enacted into law since 1991.