{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases/norton-speaks-house-floor-opposing-disapproval-resolution-nullify-dcs-policing", "Norton Speaks on House Floor Opposing Disapproval Resolution to Nullify D.C.\u2019s Policing Reform", "2023-04-18", "2023", "2023-04", "Democrat", "House", "DC", "Eleanor Holmes Norton", "N000147", "norton.house.gov", "norton", "https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) spoke on the House floor today during debate on the rule governing consideration of the disapproval resolution that would nullify D.C.\u2019s policing reform legislation. The Republican-controlled House is expected to vote on the disapproval resolution tomorrow, although the Biden Administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy opposing the resolution yesterday saying President Biden would veto the resolution if it reached his desk.\n\n\u201cI remind my Republican colleagues, who claim to revere the Founders, what James Madison said in Federalist 43 about the residents of the federal district: \u2018[A] municipal legislature for local purposes, derived from their own suffrages, will of course be allowed them,\u2019\u201d Norton said. \u201cI will close by saying to all members of the House: Keep your hands off D.C.\u201d\n\nLocal D.C. legislation must be transmitted to Congress for a designated review period. If a disapproval resolution is enacted during that period, it prevents the D.C. bill from taking effect.\n\nNorton\u2019s statement follows, as prepared for delivery.\n\nFloor Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton\n\nRule for Consideration of H.J.Res. 42,\n\nDisapproving the Action of the District of Columbia Council in Approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022\n\nApril 18, 2023\n\nI strongly oppose this rule. I will have more to say tomorrow about the police accountability and transparency legislation enacted by the District of Columbia\u2019s local legislature, but I want to take this time to discuss democratic principles.\n\nIt is true that Congress has the constitutional authority to legislate on local D.C. matters, but it is false that Congress has a constitutional duty, obligation or responsibility to do so. Instead, legislating on local D.C. matters is a choice.\n\nI remind my Republican colleagues, who claim to revere the Founders, what James Madison said in Federalist 43 about the residents of the federal district: \u201c[A] municipal legislature for local purposes, derived from their own suffrages, will of course be allowed them.\u201d The Supreme Court has held that Congress may delegate \u201cfull legislative power\u201d to D.C. on local D.C. matters.\n\nD.C. disapproval resolutions are profoundly undemocratic, paternalistic legislation.\n\nD.C.\u2019s local legislature, the D.C. Council, has 13 members. The members are elected by D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote, they can vote them out of office. That is called democracy.\n\nCongress has 535 voting members. The members are elected by residents of states. None are elected by, or accountable to, D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote, even on legislation that applies only to D.C., they cannot vote them out of office.\n\nThe Revolutionary War was fought to give consent to the governed and to end taxation without representation. Yet, the nearly 700,000 D.C. residents cannot consent to any action taken by Congress, whether on national or local D.C. matters, while paying full federal taxes\u2014indeed, D.C. pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and more total federal taxes than 23 states.\n\nIf the House cared about democratic principles or D.C. residents, it would be voting on my D.C. statehood bill, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, instead. Congress has the constitutional authority to admit the State of Washington, D.C. The House is choosing not to. It is a choice.\n\nI will close by saying to all members of the House: Keep your hands off D.C.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:44:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases/norton-speaks-house-floor-opposing-disapproval-resolution-nullify-dcs-policing"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1010929010808468, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}