Norton Releases Remarks for Oversight Markup of Bill to Strip D.C.’s Authority Over its Own Tax Code

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her remarks, as prepared for delivery, ahead of today's Committee on Oversight & Government Reform (COGR) markup of a bill introduced by Rep. James Comer (R-KY) that would strip D.C. of the authority to make changes to its own tax code without congressional approval. Comer has claimed that the intention behind the bill was to prevent D.C. from raising taxes. As drafted, however, the bill would also prevent D.C. from cutting or eliminating taxes, the opposite of his stated goal.

"If enacted, this bill would be the most consequential reduction in D.C.'s authority to govern itself since the D.C. Home Rule Act was passed in 1973 - the entire modern history of D.C. home rule," Norton said.

"Further, Congress already has the authority to block tax increases passed by the D.C. Council by passing a disapproval resolution during the congressional review period. Requiring Congress to proactively approve changes to D.C.'s tax code would prevent D.C. from taking fiscally responsible measures to address abrupt cash flow shortages of the type Congress itself is known to cause. Just last year, House Republicans omitted a provision in the Continuing Resolution that, in effect, caused a projected $1.1 billion shortfall in D.C.'s budget.

"It does not escape me that Rep. Comer's press release announcing the bill disingenuously blamed that billion-dollar shortfall on fictional overspending by D.C. This is false. D.C.'s budget has been balanced for the last 29 years. Republicans in Congress intentionally caused last year's shortfall by forcing the District to revert to the prior year's spending levels. Falsely blaming D.C. for a congressional action that D.C. vehemently opposed demonstrates that Rep. Comer's bill lacks a persuasive case for its passage. Otherwise, he would not have needed to rely on falsehoods for its justification.

"D.C. residents are worthy and capable of governing themselves, and I'll continue fighting for D.C.'s right to self-government."

Norton's remarks follow, as prepared for delivery.

Oversight will mark up a bill today that would strip DC of authority over its own tax code, preventing the District from cutting taxes.

This bill would be the most consequential reduction in DC's authority to govern itself in the entire modern history of DC home rule.

I released my remarks ahead of the markup.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Markup of the D.C. Taxing Authority Review Act (H.R. 9720)

July 22, 2026

I strongly oppose this radical, undemocratic, paternalistic and unworkable bill. This bill would be the biggest reduction in the District of Columbia's authority to govern itself since Congress passed the D.C. Home Rule Act in 1973.

This bill takes away D.C.'s authority over its tax code, turning the D.C. Council into an advisory body for taxation. D.C. could not impose or increase a tax or cut or eliminate a tax without congressional approval. I will repeat that for my Republican colleagues: D.C. could not cut or eliminate a tax without congressional approval.

In fact, the scope of this bill is much broader than Republicans have claimed. This bill applies not only to taxation but to all of title 47 of the D.C. code. That title has more than 50 chapters and encompasses not only taxation but also licensing, permits, assessments and fees, among other things.

This bill flips the current congressional review process for a D.C. law on its head. Currently, a D.C. law takes effect after a review period unless a disapproval resolution is enacted into law during that period. This bill prohibits a D.C. law that imposes or increases a tax or fee or amends title 47 of the D.C. code from taking effect after a 60-day review period unless an approval resolution is enacted into law during that period. The only exception is that this bill does not apply to a D.C. law that imposes or increases a fee if the fee is less than $500 and the law does not impose or increase any other tax or fee.

This Congress, Republicans have introduced more than 130 bills, amendments and riders that interfere in local D.C. matters, including a bill to repeal the Home Rule Act. The 700,000 D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. If D.C. residents do not like how members of the D.C. Council vote, residents can vote them out of office. That is democracy. If D.C. residents do not like how members of Congress vote on local D.C. matters, residents cannot vote them out of office. That is the antithesis of democracy.

D.C. residents have all the obligations of American citizenship, including paying all 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.

Congress has the authority to admit D.C. as a state. The D.C. statehood bill would reduce 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. The residential and commercial areas of D.C. would be a new state.

I urge members to vote NO on the chairman's bill.

Free D.C.

I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from the D.C. Council Chairman opposing this bill.

I also ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the index of title 47 of the D.C. code, so that the committee is on notice that this bill applies to much more than a D.C. law that imposes or increases a tax or fee.

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