Norton Condemns House Passage of Disapproval Resolution, Vows to Fight Passage in the Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After House passage of a disapproval resolution repealing a local D.C. law that recently restored D.C.'s child tax credit, increased an existing earned income tax credit, and decoupled D.C.'s tax code from certain provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) called the measure paternalistic, democracy-denying, deliberate administrative and fiscal sabotage of the nation's capital.

The resolution was introduced by Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX). The decoupling provisions of the D.C. law are projected to generate approximately $600 million in local revenue over the next four years and decrease child poverty by 20%.

If passed by the House, Senate, and signed into law by the president, the resolution would repeal a local D.C. law that recently restored D.C.'s child tax credit, increased an existing earned income tax credit, and decoupled D.C.'s tax code from certain provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The D.C. law's decoupling provisions are projected to generate approximately $600 million in local revenue over the next four years.

"This resolution is nothing short of unprecedented and deliberate administrative and fiscal sabotage of D.C.," Norton said. "D.C. is hardly an outlier in decoupling parts of its local tax code from the federal one. Congress has never overturned a revenue-raising law for D.C., and doing so now threatens D.C.'s credit rating and will inject chaos in the middle of tax filing season. The District's Chief Financial Officer said it will force the District to halt filings while scrambling to rewrite forms and guidance. This is not governance or oversight, it is sabotage, and the damage will be severe and intentional.

"More than 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C., the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are worthy and capable of governing themselves. If D.C. residents disagree with the decisions of their elected council, D.C. residents can vote them out. That's how democracy works. Members of Congress from distant states, who don't live or pay taxes in D.C., are not accountable to D.C. voters - and who often don't even understand how D.C. functions - have no business overriding local laws and stripping District residents of their right to self-government.

"I'll continue fighting to stop this resolution's passage by the Senate."

The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee marked up and passed the Senate version of the bill today. The full Senate could vote on it as early as this week. There have been more attacks on D.C. home rule this Congress than any time since the 1990s.

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