Norton Statement on Rules Committee Making in Order Three Anti-D.C. Home Rule Amendments in D.C. Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement after the Rules Committee yesterday made in order three anti-D.C. home rule amendments and did not make in order Norton’s amendments to the D.C. Appropriations bill that will soon be coming to the House floor. The Committee made in order an amendment by Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) to prohibit D.C. from using its local funds to require an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, one filed by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) to prohibit D.C. from using its own local funds on signage to designate 16th Street Northwest as “Black Lives Matter Plaza,” and one filed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) to prohibit D.C. from using its local funds to carry out the section of D.C.’s Immunization of School Students At of 1979 that required students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. D.C. has already repealed this section.
“All three of these amendments, filed by members who do not represent D.C., seek to constrain D.C.’s ability to spend its own local funds, generated from local taxes and fees,” Norton said. “Decisions about how D.C. should spend its own local funds should be left to D.C.’s own locally-elected officials who are accountable to D.C. residents. If D.C. residents don’t approve of the performance of their elected officials, they can vote those officials out of office.
“D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. If House Republicans cared about democratic principles or D.C. residents, they would bring my D.C. statehood bill, which would give D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government, to the floor. I say to every member of Congress: Keep your hands off D.C. If you want to legislate on local D.C. matters, become a D.C. resident and get elected mayor or councilmember.”
Norton will speak on the House floor about the three anti-D.C. amendments before the House votes on the D.C. Appropriations bill.
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