Norton Disappointed After Oversight Committee Passage of ‘Paternalistic, Anti-Home Rule, and Antidemocratic’ Bill
The Committee also pulled Norton’s bill to rename a post office after Chuck Brown from the agenda less than an hour before the markup began.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement after the House Oversight Committee marked up and passed an anti-home rule bill and pulled Norton’s bill to rename a post office in D.C. after Chuck Brown, the “Godfather of Go-Go,” from the agenda less than an hour before the markup began.
The bill introduced by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) would prohibit D.C. from requiring courts and administrative proceedings to defer to the mayor's interpretation of statutes and regulations. Norton’s bill, which the Committee planned to mark up but pulled from consideration, would rename the post office at 3401 12th Street NE after musician and singer Chuck Brown, the “Godfather of Go-Go.” The Committee chose not to mark up the bill at the last minute because Chuck Brown served time in prison.
“I’m disappointed Rep. Hageman’s paternalistic, anti-home rule, and antidemocratic bill was marked up and passed by the Oversight Committee today. If enacted, the bill would radically change how local D.C. laws and regulations are interpreted,” Norton said. “The local D.C. courts have deferred to the D.C. executive branch’s reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes and regulations for decades without incident. The D.C. Council, which was elected by D.C. residents, took the extra step of codifying this deference. That’s the democratic process at work, and it should not be overturned by Republicans in Congress who represent far-away districts.
"The Committee unceremoniously removed my bill to rename a post office for Chuck Brown from today's agenda because he served time in prison. Chuck Brown was a Washingtonian for most of his life. He created Go-Go, the official music of D.C., and shaped the District's cultural identity," Norton said.
"Chuck Brown is a legend. D.C. loved him and he loved D.C. His impact on our history, our culture, and American music is undeniable, and it is unfortunate that some on the Committee would object to honoring him."
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