After Committee Passage of Bill to Make the Most Consequential Reduction in D.C. Home Rule in Modern History, Norton Vows to Prevent Further Advancement

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform (COGR) marked up and passed a bill introduced by Rep. James Comer (R-KY) that would strip D.C. of the authority to make changes to its own tax code without congressional approval, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she was outraged.

Comer has claimed that the intention behind the bill was to prevent D.C. from raising taxes. As drafted, however, the bill would also prevent D.C. from cutting or eliminating taxes.

"I'm outraged by the bill the Committee passed today, which would be the most consequential reduction in D.C.'s authority to govern itself since the D.C. Home Rule Act was passed in 1973 - the entire modern history of D.C. home rule," Norton said. "Requiring Congress to proactively approve changes to D.C.'s tax code would prevent D.C. from taking fiscally responsible measures to address abrupt cash flow shortages of the type Congress itself is known to cause.

"Last year, House Republicans omitted a provision in the Continuing Resolution that, in effect, caused a projected $1.1 billion shortfall in D.C.'s budget. Chairman Comer used today's hearing to disingenuously blame that billion-dollar shortfall on fictional overspending by D.C. This is factually incorrect; D.C.'s budget has been balanced for the last 29 years. Republicans in Congress intentionally caused last year's shortfall by forcing the District to revert to the prior year's spending levels. Falsely blaming D.C. for a congressional action that D.C. vehemently opposed demonstrates that his bill lacks a persuasive case for its passage. Otherwise, he would not have needed to rely on falsehoods for its justification.

"D.C. residents are worthy and capable of governing themselves, and I'll continue fighting to ensure this radical, undemocratic, and unworkable bill doesn't progress further."

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