Norton Releases Statement on President Trump’s Anti-Home Rule D.C. Executive Order

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement tonight after President Trump signed an anti-D.C. home rule executive order (EO) establishing a task force to combat crime by surging law enforcement officers in public areas, increasing immigration enforcement, changing D.C. pre-trial detention policies, expediting concealed carry licenses, and working on fare enforcement on the Metro system. The EO also created a program to allegedly "beautify" D.C. by restoring federal buildings, monuments and roadways, removing graffiti, and ensuring cleanliness of public spaces and parks. Additionally, the EO directed the National Park Service to clear homeless encampments and graffiti on federal lands.

"President Trump's thoroughly anti-home rule EO is insulting to the 700,000 D.C. residents who live in close proximity to a federal government, which continues to deny them the same rights afforded to other Americans. The task force created by the EO would not include a single D.C. official to represent the interests of the people who reside within the District," Norton said. "The Revolutionary War was fought to give consent to the governed and to end taxation without representation. President Trump's rhetoric runs counter to this history. D.C.'s population is larger than that of two states. D.C. pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and pays more federal taxes than 21 states. D.C.'s gross domestic product is larger than that of 15 states. D.C. residents have fought and died in all this nation's wars. We deserve statehood.

"The 'Fact Sheet' about the EO currently on the White House's website states that crime in D.C. is 'near historic highs.' This simply isn't true. It is contradicted by the Department of Justice, which noted on January 3 that violent crime was down 35% in 2024 and overall violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low.

"Like states, cities, and counties across the country, D.C. has passed laws to support and protect the safety of all its residents, regardless of immigration status. In passing these laws, D.C. followed its values and was convinced of the benefits for the entire city. Anyone watching can see plainly that the immigration provisions in the EO were motivated by President Trump's longstanding antipathy for immigrants, not concern about law and order in the nation's capital.

"Finally, the recently enacted CR omitted a longstanding provision to allow D.C. to continue spending under its local fiscal year 2025 budget, and instead forces the District to revert to spending at fiscal year 2024 levels for the remainder of the year. The CR will result in projected cuts of approximately $1 billion in its own locally raised funds through the end of September, which will force dramatic reductions in essential services the city provides, including those related to public safety. House Republicans did this intentionally and had time to correct the issue. If Republicans are concerned about public safety in the nation's capital, they should not have passed a CR that cut D.C.'s funding, including for public safety purposes, halfway through the fiscal year."

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