Norton Thanks 100+ Organizations for Letter to Senate Leadership Opposing Two DC Disapproval Resolutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today thanked the 100+ organizations that signed a letter to Senate leadership opposing the two disapproval resolutions that would overturn two local D.C. pieces of legislation.

"Thank you to the 100+ organizations that signed the letter, which demonstrates their support for D.C. home rule and self-governance," Norton said. "As the letter states, D.C. residents elect their own local officials to govern local affairs, like every other jurisdiction in the country. Congressional interference in local affairs is paternalistic, undemocratic, and violates the principle of self-governance."

Local D.C. legislation must be transmitted to Congress for a designated review period before taking effect. If the disapproval resolution is enacted, it overturns the local D.C. legislation.

The text of the letter follows.

February 21, 2023

Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer

322 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

317 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Cc: United States Senators

Dear Senate Leadership:

We, the undersigned organizations, representing millions of Americans from across the country, are concerned about H.J. Resolution 24, “Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022” and H.J. Resolution 26, “Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022,” recently transmitted from the House for agreement by the United States Senate.

These two measures unjustly undermine critical local decisions made by the people of the District of Columbia and their elected leadership. Policy disagreement between the legislative and executive branches of the local District government should not give license to Congress to continue the paternalistic intrusion through disapproval resolutions. The people of the District, like the people of the States, maintain the ability to both choose their local leadership and hold them accountable through local elections. No State is subject to an additional layer of review and consent to local decisions and the additional burden here serves no legitimate Federal purpose.

The Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 and the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 were passed through the District’s legislative process via regular order. The Council held hearings and heard from witnesses on each bill and they were voted on and approved by the Council.

H.J Res 24 and H.J Res 26, on the other hand, did not receive hearings in the House of Representatives and no residents of the District of Columbia were allowed to testify in favor or in opposition to either measure. With no representation in the United States Senate, the people of DC will be excluded from the consideration of these measures once again should they not go through the regular Senate process.

We, the undersigned, urge the Senate to reject the referred H.J. Res 24 and H.J. Res 26 and preserve the self-governance of the 700,000 people of Washington, DC.

Sincerely,

DC Vote

Alliance for Justice

All Souls Church Unitarian

American Civil Liberties Union

American Civil Liberties Union of DC

American Ethical Union

American Family Voices

American Federation of Government Employees

Anacostia Coordinating Council

Arab American Institute

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Brookland

Huddle for the Future Broward for Progress

CapitalBop, Inc.

Capital Stonewall Democrats Center for Common Ground

Center for Disability Rights

Center for Economic and Policy Research

Center for Popular Democracy Church World Service

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

Clean Elections Texas Common Cause

Common Defense.us

Concerned Citizens Demanding Change Inc. (DC)

Council for Court Excellence

DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice

DC Democratic State Committee

DC Developmental Disabilities Council

DC Environmental Network DC Fiscal Policy Institute

DC for Democracy DC Jobs With Justice

DC Justice Lab

DC Statehood Coalition

DC Statehood Green Party

DC Voters for Animals

Death with Dignity

Declaration for American Democracy

Defending Rights & Dissent

DemCast USA

Democracy Amendments Coalition Inc.

Democracy for America Advocacy Fund

Democratic Messaging Project

Demos

Drug Policy Alliance

Economic Policy Institute

Endangered Species Coalition

Faith in Action for Social Justice

Family Values @ Work

Federation of Community Associations

Friends of the Earth US

FWD.us

GLSEN

Greenpeace USA

GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic

Harriets Wildest Dreams

In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda

Indivisible

Indivisible Chicago Alliance

Indivisible Marin

Indivisible Northern Nevada

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Justice Policy Institute

Lake Research Partners

League of Conservation Voters

League of Women Voters of the District of Columbia

League of Women Voters of the United States

Legal Aid DC

Long Live GoGo

MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund)

Maryland/DC State Council of Machinists, IAMAW

Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO

More Than Our Crimes NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF)

NARAL Pro-Choice America National Center for Transgender Equality

National Council of Jewish Women

National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)

National Fair Housing Alliance

National Employment Law Project

National Women’s Law Center

Neighbors United for DC Statehood

Netroots Nation

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

NextGen America Oregonizers

Our Revolution

Physicians for Reproductive Health

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC

Public Citizen Public Justice Center Rachel Carson Council

Reale Justice Network SEIU 32BJ

Sierra Club

Sojourners

SPACEs In Action

Stand Up America

Statehood4DC

Take on Wall Street, a project of Americans for Financial Reform

TakeItBack.Org

The Action Lab at the Center for Health Policy and Law

The Hub Project

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

The Workers Circle

Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

United Nations Association of the National Capital Area

Venice Resistance

Voices for Progress

Washington AIDS Partnership

Washington Ethical Society

Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society

Washington Parks & People

Who Speaks For Me?

Woman’s National Democratic Club

Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia

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