Norton to Host Press Conference with Mayor Bowser and National Organizations to Defend DC Home Rule From FY 18 Appropriations Riders, Monday

(WASHINGTON, DC) —The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will host a press conference with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and a coalition of national organizations to protect DC’s local laws during the fiscal year 2018 appropriations process on Monday, July 10, 2017, at 11 am, in HVC-215 (Capitol Visitor Center).  With the help of coalition partners, Norton has been able to turn back most of the riders before.  Last Congress, she defeated eight attempts to overturn DC’s gun safety laws.

Interested media and other attendees should RSVP to: [email protected]

The speaking representatives from national organizations will be: Kate Ryan, Senior Policy Representative, NARAL Pro-Choice America; Kimberly Callinan, Chief Program Officer, Compassion and Choices; Kate Bell, Legislative Counsel, Marijuana Policy Project; Cynthia A. Finley, Director of Regulatory Affairs, National Association of Clean Water Agencies; T Christian Heyne, Legislative Director, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence; and Bo Shuff, Executive Director, DC Vote.

Thus far in the 115th Congress, there have been significant attacks and threats to DC home rule and local laws.

Marijuana

• The House’s fiscal year 2018 DC Appropriations bill, which was passed out of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, contains a rider that prohibits DC from spending its local funds on marijuana commercialization.

DC Budget Autonomy

• The House’s FY 2018 DC Appropriations, which was passed out of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee bill, repeals DC’s budget autonomy referendum.

DC Death with Dignity Act

• House and Senate disapproval resolutions (H.J.Res. 27/S.J.Res.4) were introduced to nullify DC’s medical aid-in-dying law, the Death with Dignity Act (DWDA). The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed H.J.Res. 27.
• Representative Andy Harris (R-MD), who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, has publically threatened to block the DWDA during the appropriations process.

DC Gun Safety Laws

• There are three bills pending in the House and Senate that would gut the District’s local gun safety laws.
• H.R. 1537 and S. 162 would wipe out almost all of DC’s local gun safety laws, including its ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines and its registration requirements, and would prohibit DC from passing gun laws in the future.
• H.R. 2909 would force DC to recognize out-of-state permits to carry concealed guns, regardless of the standards those states use for issuing permits.

Abortion

• The House’s FY 2018 DC Appropriations bill, which was passed out of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, contains a rider that prohibits the District from spending its local funds on abortion services for low-income women.
• There are House and Senate bills (H.R. 7/S. 184) to permanently prohibit the DC government from spending its local funds on abortion services for low-income women, prohibit DC government employees from providing abortions, prohibit abortions in DC government facilities, and define the DC government as part of the federal government for purposes of abortion. H.R. 7 passed the House.

DC Law on Wipes Labeling

• Representative Harris has told the press he is considering offering an amendment to block a new DC law regulating the labeling of personal hygiene products, particularly wet wipes, as safe to flush.