Norton Thanks White House for Issuing Veto Threat on Bill to Overturn D.C. Anti-Discrimination Law

NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Federal of America Announce They Will Score Vote on Disapproval Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today thanked the Obama administration for issuing a statement of administration policy strongly opposing the disapproval resolution to overturn the District of Columbia Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act (RHNDA), which will be debated at 9:00 p.m. tonight and then voted on. RHNDA would prohibit employers in D.C. from discriminating against employees based on their private reproductive health decisions. The White House said that the disapproval resolution "would give employers cover to fire employees for the personal decisions they make about birth control and their reproductive health. These personal decisions should not jeopardize anyone's job or terms of employment." The White House also said that the disapproval resolution "would also have the unacceptable effect of undermining the will of District of Columbia citizens."

"I am enormously gratified to see such a strong statement of policy by the administration opposing a double whammy attack—on the reproductive freedoms of employees in the District, and our city's right to home rule," Norton said. "The statement of administration policy covers every important issue generated by the Republicans' incendiary attack on the private decisions of employees, who are nevertheless performing their jobs in keeping with their employers' mission or policy. Above all, the administration does not mince words when it says, ‘If the President were presented with H.J. Res. 43, his senior advisers would recommend he veto the bill.'"

Norton also said she was grateful that ahead of tonight's vote, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced they will "score" Members' votes on the disapproval resolution.