Norton, Molinaro Bill to Remove Derogatory “R-Word” from D.C. Code Passes Senate Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs marked up and passed her bipartisan bill, the Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act, co-led in the House by Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and in the Senate by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), to remove the derogatory “R-word” from Title 11 of the D.C. Code and replace it with more appropriate and respectful terminology. Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, only Congress can amend Title 11 of the D.C. Code.

“Words indisputably matter, and I am pleased that today’s Senate committee passage means we’re one step closer to bringing the D.C. Code into the 21^st Century,” Norton said. “My own daughter, Katherine, has Down syndrome. I’m appalled at the thought of someone using the ‘R-word’ slur toward her, and it is unacceptable that the derogatory term is still a part of the D.C. Code.”

"I'm proud to see the Words Matter Act pass the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs,” Molinaro said. "This is a crucial step in removing disparaging terms that diminish individuals with disabilities. Our words matter and our laws should reflect that."

The Words Matter for the District of Columbia Courts Act has been endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, the National Down Syndrome Congress and the Special Olympics.

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