Norton Gratified by Statements of New House and Senate D.C. Committee Chairs Supporting Home Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 5, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR), today said she was gratified that the two new chairs of the committees with jurisdiction over District of Columbia affairs in the next Congress indicated respect for the city’s home rule without undue interference from Congress. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) is the presumptive chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) will be the chair of the House OGR Committee. The statements were published by Roll Call today.

“Both of the new chairs have indicated an admirable and principled approach, consistent with the Home Rule Act, which empowers the city to make decisions without interference from Congress,” Norton said. “Residents understand that, under the Home Rule Act, some matters must come to Congress, but they chafe at being treated with less respect than other American citizens. In recent years, the two committees, under Republican and Democratic chairs, have adhered to their own principles of local self-government and federalism and readily applied those same principles to the District. We greatly appreciate the indications that the new chairs intend to operate in this tradition.”