Jerry Nadler: “I rise to support the Norton Amendment to the D.C. Appropriations bill which is now before us. I am strongly opposed to…”

“I rise to support the Norton Amendment to the D.C. Appropriations bill which is now before us. I am strongly opposed to the bill without the Norton amendment, as it singles out low-income women in D.C. and steals from them their right to choose. Many states provide for the women who were left out in the cold by the Hyde amendment, which limits the use of federal funds for abortion to instances in which the women is the victim of rape or incest, or in which the life of the mother is in danger. To use this body's control over funding for the District of Columbia to make a political point would be a disgrace. Our control, as a Federal body, over the local spending of the District is unique. In no other instance do we wield such a discrete power over a locality's own discretionary funds. I find it curious that my colleagues, who purport to be so concerned with maintaining 'state's rights', are willing to blatantly disregard local autonomy when it comes to the District of Columbia. I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment so that low-income women who reside in the District of Columbia may exercise their right to choose as women in many states can. I regret that I need to remind this body once again, that the women of America have the right to choose to have abortions. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to restore the right of low-income women of D.C. to exert the same controls over their bodies which other women throughout America have.”