Norton Thanks Democratic Leaders for Strong Budget Autonomy Fight; Blasts Ryan for Deprecating Response to D.C. Residents’ Local Spending Choices

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today expressed her deep gratitude to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) for strongly condemning House Republicans for voting to overturn a referendum overwhelmingly ratified by District of Columbia voters in 2013 that granted the District budget autonomy. Norton again expressed her gratitude to the White House for issuing a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) strongly opposing the repeal bill and threating to veto it if it got to the president’s desk.

Norton said that Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) statement before the vote that “the current DC government needs to be reined in” was both “insulting and patronizing, as if the American citizens who live in the nation’s capital had no right to want to control their own locally-raised funds.” Norton said that Ryan openly acknowledged that Republican opposition to D.C. budget autonomy is grounded in their desire to block D.C. from spending locally-raised funds on policies they oppose, such as abortion services for low-income women. “The DC government wants to use revenues to fund abortions in the District,” Ryan said. “House Republicans will not stand for that.” Norton said that Ryan, who is having trouble with his caucus’ far-right wing, made no secret that he was using the District as political fodder to appease his far-right Members and outside conservative interest groups, even though with budget autonomy, Congress would retain the constitutional authority to legislate on any D.C. matter.

“For weeks, House Republicans have been disguising their opposition to D.C. budget autonomy with legalistic arguments, despite a court decision upholding the referendum,” Norton said. “However, Speaker Ryan candidly admitted that Republicans want to keep their authoritarian grip over D.C.’s locally-raised funds in order to block policies they oppose. Fortunately, we have strong allies in the Senate and leaders in the House who have just begun to fight.”