By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed several bills that intend to reverse certain Washington D.C. local laws.
On June 10, U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-At-Large) spoke starkly against the consideration of two “anti-D.C. Home Rule” bills, as Norton refers to them, that were later passed by the House that same day.
“D.C. residents are treated as second-class citizens by Congress,” said Norton on the House floor on June 11. “They are required to pay federal taxes, serve on federal juries and register with Selective Service in the same manner as residents of states. They have served in the military since the Revolutionary War, which was fought to end taxation without representation and to give consent to the governed. Yet, Congress has denied them voting representation in Congress and full local self-government for over 200 years.”
The local council was created by the D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973 as the legislative branch of the city’s local government, which was enacted by Congress and ratified by District voters. The law is a part of a larger push by residents to control their local affairs. Norton has long championed bills to make D.C. an official state and expand the powers of the district, but they have failed to pass.
D.C. is home to over 700,000 residents–the majority of whom are Black and Brown. According to the U.S. Census, Black people make up 44 percent of the population in D.C.
The first bill, introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas-11), would prohibit D.C. residents who are not citizens from voting in local D.C. elections. The second, introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.-02), would repeal parts of the District of Columbia’s 2022 local police accountability and transparency law.
“Last Congress, over 100 bills and amendments were introduced to repeal or block local D.C. laws and policies,” said Norton. “This Congress, 28 such bills and amendments have already been introduced, including bills to abolish the locally elected D.C. government. Three months ago, Congress passed a bill that cut over $1 billion from the local D.C. budget, which consists entirely of locally raised revenue.”
“On November 21, 2022, the D.C. City Council made a radical decision to allow non-citizens to vote in local D.C. elections,” said Pfluger on the House floor on June 10. “I find it unimaginable that the District, along with many across the country, would intentionally weaken the power of their citizens, many of whom come from underserved communities, in favor of non-citizens.”
On June 12, House members passed a third “anti-D.C. Home Rule” bill. The legislation, introduced by U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.-03), would repeal locally-enacted D.C. laws and practices pertaining to D.C. exchanging information about the citizenship and immigration status of individuals. It would require the District to comply with requests by the Department of Homeland Security concerning immigration detainers.
“Congress has 535 voting members, none are elected by D.C. residents,” said Norton. “If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote on local D.C. matters, residents cannot vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure. That is the antithesis of democracy.”
Within D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) proposed fiscal year 2026 budget included the repeal of the district’s designation as a sanctuary city.
Earlier this year, Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-Tenn.-05) introduced the Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act, a bill that would repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act. The bill was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Feb. 6, but has not progressed any further.
“D.C. concluded that cooperating with federal immigration agencies would make D.C. less safe for all residents by diverting police department resources and discouraging immigrants from interacting with the police department and other government agencies,” said Norton. “Many states, cities and counties have reached the same conclusion.”
All three “anti-D.C. Home Rule” bills now await consideration in the U.S. Senate.