Jason Chaffetz: “I want to start, Mr. Speaker, by thanking the Delegate from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton). She pours her heart…”

“I want to start, Mr. Speaker, by thanking the Delegate from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton). She pours her heart and soul into her passion for this country and certainly for the District itself. We happen to disagree probably on this issue. We have agreed on some issues, on some topics; and we disagree on others. But I just want to note, Mr. Speaker, how much I appreciate her passion, her commitment, and her desire to represent her constituents as vigorously as she does. I also thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) for introducing H.R. 5233, the Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for DC Home Rule Act of 2016, and his leadership on this issue. He is the subcommittee chairman who deals with this issue. He has spent a considerable amount of time working on this topic, working with city leaders, getting to know the city, and working with them. I appreciate his proactive approach and the manner in which he approaches this and his thoughtfulness on this sensitive but important topic. We are here today to discuss the bill that would do, just as the title says: clarify the congressional intent behind the D.C. Home Rule Act passed in 1974. First, a little bit of background about the need for this legislation. In December of 2012, the District of Columbia Council disregarded clear limitations found in the Home Rule Act of 1973.…”