Norton Releases Remarks Ahead of Speaking on House Floor on Two Anti-D.C. Home Rule Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her remarks, as prepared for delivery, in advance of speaking on the House floor this afternoon against the D.C. CRIMES Act, introduced by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and a bill introduced by Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) to lower the age minors can be tried as adults in D.C. to 14 years old. Debate will begin at 2:15 p.m. ahead of votes at 4:30 p.m., and the general public can view the proceedings on C-SPAN or live.house.gov.

"Republicans claim D.C.'s Youth Rehabilitation Act treats adults as juveniles. They are wrong. They either do not understand the Act or are misleading the public about it intentionally," Norton said. "But even after clearing up their confusion, I would note that D.C. is not the only jurisdiction with a so-called 'young adult offender' law. Florida, where Rep. Donalds' district lies, also has one. Regardless, Republican members of Congress have no business substituting their own judgment for that of D.C.'s local legislature."

"Rep. Gill's bill would lower the minimum age to charge a minor as an adult to 14 years old. The obvious cruelty of this proposal should alarm parents everywhere. Even if it were not cruel, the bill would be counterproductive. Evidence shows that minors charged as adults are more likely to reoffend and commit violence after release than minors charged as juveniles.

"Regardless of their bills' substantive deficiencies, it is paternalistic and condescending for Republican members of Congress to substitute their own judgment for that of D.C.'s local legislature. D.C. residents have all the obligations of American citizenship, including paying federal taxes, serving on juries and registering with the Selective Service, yet Congress denies them full local self-government and voting representation in Congress. They deserve full control of their own local affairs. They deserve statehood."

Norton's remarks follow, as prepared for delivery.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

D.C. CRIMES Act of 2025

September 16, 2025

I strongly oppose this undemocratic and paternalistic bill, which amends D.C. law. The over 700,000 D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record letters opposing this bill from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the entire D.C. Council and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.

The local D.C. legislature, the Council, has 13 members. If D.C. residents do not like how members vote, residents can vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure. That is called democracy.

Congress has 535 voting members. None are elected by D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how 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.

The substance of this bill should be irrelevant, since there is never justification for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters. Nevertheless, I will discuss it.

Republicans claim D.C.'s Youth Rehabilitation Act treats adults as juveniles. They are wrong. They either do not understand the Act or are misleading the public about it intentionally. The Act's sentencing and set aside provisions apply only in adult court, not juvenile court. A judge may, but is not required to, sentence a person under the Act, and certain crimes are ineligible under the Act.

D.C. is not the only jurisdiction with a so-called young adult offender law. Alabama, Florida, Michigan, New York, South Carolina and Vermont have such laws. The sponsor of this bill is from one of those states.

D.C. residents have all the obligations of American citizenship, including paying federal taxes, serving on juries and registering with the Selective Service, yet Congress denies them full local self-government and voting representation in Congress. The only solution to this undemocratic treatment is to grant D.C. statehood. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter explaining why the D.C. statehood bill is constitutional from leading constitutional scholars, including Larry Tribe.

The D.C. statehood bill, H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, grants D.C. residents full local self-government and voting representation in Congress. H.R. 51 reduces the size of the federal district from 68 square miles to two square miles, consisting of the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the National Mall and remaining under the control of Congress. The new state consists of the residential and commercial areas of D.C. The new state has a larger population than two states, pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and pays more total federal taxes than 21 states.

I urge members to vote NO on the D.C. CRIMES Act, keep their hands off D.C. and free D.C.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Bill to Reduce Minimum Age to Charge Minor as Adult

September 16, 2025

I strongly oppose this undemocratic and paternalistic bill, which amends D.C. law. The over 700,000 D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record letters opposing this bill from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the entire D.C. Council and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.

While Congress has authority to legislate on local D.C. matters, it does not have a duty to do so. It is a choice. In Federalist 43, James Madison said of D.C. residents: "a municipal legislature for local purposes, derived from their own suffrages, will of course be allowed them." Since 1802, Congress has established various types of local government for D.C. In 1953, the Supreme Court held "there is no constitutional barrier to the delegation by Congress to the District of Columbia of full legislative power."

The local D.C. legislature, the Council, has 13 members. If D.C. residents do not like how members vote, residents can vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure. That is called democracy.

Congress has 535 voting members. None are elected by D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how 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.

The substance of this bill is irrelevant, since there is never justification for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters. Nevertheless, I will discuss it.

I strongly oppose charging 14-year-olds as adults. However, whether to amend D.C. law to reduce or increase the minimum age a minor can be charged as an adult should be a decision for D.C. alone.

In a series of cases since 2005, the Supreme Court has recognized that children are "constitutionally different from adults for purposes of sentencing." In these cases, the court noted that childhood is marked by "rashness, proclivity for risk, and inability to assess consequences." The court said its decisions "rested not only on common sense-on what 'any parent knows'-but on science and social science as well."

This bill is not only cruel, but counterproductive, too. Most incarcerated people return home. The evidence shows that a minor charged as an adult is more likely to reoffend and be violent after release than a minor charged as a juvenile.

D.C. residents have all the obligations of American citizenship, including paying federal taxes, serving on juries and registering with the Selective Service, yet Congress denies them full local self-government and voting representation in Congress. The only solution to this undemocratic treatment is to grant D.C. statehood. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter explaining why the D.C. statehood bill is constitutional from leading constitutional scholars, including Larry Tribe.

The D.C. statehood bill, H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, grants D.C. residents full local self-government and voting representation in Congress. H.R. 51 reduces the size of the federal district from 68 square miles to two square miles, consisting of the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the National Mall and remaining under the control of Congress. The new state consists of the residential and commercial areas of D.C. The new state has a larger population than two states, pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and pays more total federal taxes than 21 states.

I urge members to vote NO on H.R. 5140, keep their hands off D.C. and free D.C.

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