Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I strongly oppose this profoundly undemocratic, paternalistic resolution. The House of Representatives, in which the…”

“I strongly oppose this profoundly undemocratic, paternalistic resolution. The House of Representatives, in which the nearly 700,000 District of Columbia residents have no voting representation, is attempting to nullify legislation enacted by D.C.'s local legislature, whose members are elected by D.C. residents. By scheduling this vote, I can only conclude that the Republican leadership believes that D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown, are unworthy of governing themselves. The dictionary defines democracy as ``a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.'' D.C.'s lack of voting representation in this Congress and Congress' plenary authority over D.C. are the antithesis of democracy. The legislative history and merits of D.C.'s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, which is the subject of this disapproval resolution, should be irrelevant since there is never justification for Congress nullifying legislation enacted by the District of Columbia. I would like to set the record straight.…”