Norton to Speak on House Floor on Attacks on D.C. Home Rule in Appropriations Bill, Today
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will speak on the House floor today during debate on the rule governing consideration of the fiscal year 2017 District of Columbia Appropriations bill to condemn both the rule and the bill for their attacks on the District’s right to self-government. The rule blocks Norton from offering the amendments she filed to strike the provisions in the bill that prohibit D.C. from spending its local funds on taxing and regulating marijuana sales and on abortion services for low-income women. Yet the rule permits Republican Representative Gary Palmer (AL) to interfere in D.C. affairs by offering an amendment blocking D.C. from spending its local funds to enforce a local D.C. anti-discrimination law, the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act (RHNDA). RHNDA prohibits employers from discriminating against employees, their spouses and dependents based on their reproductive health decisions.
The rule, however, permits Norton to offer an amendment to strike the provision in the bill repealing D.C.’s budget autonomy referendum. Her remarks on the referendum, approved overwhelmingly by D.C. voters, and RHNDA will take place Wednesday evening.
“The rule and bill are direct assaults on D.C.’s right to home rule,” Norton said. “House Republicans, who profess to support local control of local affairs, have thrown away their principles at the borders of the District of Columbia. How pitiful that House Republicans appear to be so afraid of a local jurisdiction spending its local funds that this bill goes after D.C.’s abortion and marijuana laws. Tomorrow, they are bringing out the big foot of the federal government on a local government and will be voting for a second time in a little over a month to repeal the budget autonomy referendum.”
The House is expected to consider the District of Columbia Appropriations bill tomorrow as part of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill.
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