Norton Releases Floor Remarks on Rules Change Denying D.C.’s Mayor Access to House Floor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) spoke on the House floor during debate on the rules for the 118th Congress. The rule package passed last night removes the floor privileges of D.C.’s mayor, despite granting governors of states and 16 other categories of people – including foreign ministers – floor privileges.
Norton argued that nearly 700,000 D.C. residents have all the obligations of citizenship, including all federal taxes, while being denied voting representation in Congress and full local self-government. “To add insult to injury,” Norton said, “these rules take away the floor privileges of the D.C. mayor.
“The rules continue to grant the governors of states and 16 other categories of people, including foreign ministers, floor privileges. Not only does the D.C. mayor operate in the same way as a state governor, including managing a jurisdiction that has both a budget and population that are larger than those of several states, but Congress has undemocratic plenary authority over D.C. and regularly uses this authority to legislate on local D.C. matters.”
Norton’s remarks follow, as prepared for delivery.
Floor Remarks on the Rules Package for the 118th Congress
January 9, 2023
These rules are a gratuitous attack on the already-limited rights of the nearly 700,000 Americans who live in the District of Columbia. D.C. residents have all the obligations of citizenship, including paying all federal taxes, but Congress denies them voting representation in Congress and full local self-government. To add insult to injury, these rules take away the floor privileges of the D.C. mayor.
The rules continue to grant the governors of states and 16 other categories of people, including foreign ministers, floor privileges. Not only does the D.C. mayor operate in the same way as a state governor, including managing a jurisdiction that has both a budget and population that are larger than those of several states, but Congress has undemocratic plenary authority over D.C. and regularly uses this authority to legislate on local D.C. matters.
While D.C. deserves statehood, if any non-member of Congress deserves and needs floor privileges, it is the D.C. mayor.
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