Norton Opposes Anti-D.C. Home Rule Bill on the House Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her remarks from the House floor where she spoke today in opposition to the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025, an anti-home rule bill the House will vote on tomorrow. The bill would nullify locally enacted D.C. laws, policies and practices regarding D.C. exchanging information about the citizenship and immigration status of individuals and would require D.C. to comply with requests by the Department of Homeland Security regarding immigration detainers.

"This bill is just another entry in the long list of attacks on D.C. home rule by Republicans this Congress," Norton said. "I look forward to turning this bill into another footnote of failed attempts to undermine D.C.'s autonomy.

"This bill does not promote public safety. Instead, it undermines it because it will make individuals wary of calling the proper authorities for help. In turn, this reluctance to call for help could make groups of people easy targets for criminals.

"Jurisdictions across the country have passed laws to support and protect the safety of all its residents, regardless of immigration status, and D.C. is no exception, as D.C. has a tradition of upholding the values of kindness, compassion, and fairness.

"If Republicans cared about the safety and well-being of D.C. residents or democracy, they would take up H.R. 51, the D.C. statehood bill. H.R. 51 would admit the residential and commercial areas of D.C. as a state, giving D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government."

Norton's full remarks follow, as prepared for delivery.

Floor Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

H.R. 2056, the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025

June 11, 2025

I strongly oppose this undemocratic, anti-immigrant bill, which would nullify laws, policies and practices enacted by the locally elected District of Columbia government. The over 700,000 D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of local self-government.

I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from every member of D.C.'s locally elected legislature, the Council, opposing this bill. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from D.C.'s locally elected Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, opposing this bill.

D.C. residents are treated as second-class citizens by Congress. 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.

Last Congress, over 100 bills and amendments were introduced to repeal or block local D.C. laws and policies. This Congress, 28 such bills and amendments already have 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.

While Congress has the authority to legislate on local D.C. matters, it does not have a duty to do so. 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." In 1953, the Supreme Court held that, "there is no constitutional barrier to the delegation by Congress to the District of Columbia of full legislative power."

The Council has 13 members. If D.C. residents do not like how the 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 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.

Congress has the authority to grant D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government. It simply needs to pass H.R. 51, the D.C. statehood bill, which would make the residential and commercial areas of D.C. a state. The Admissions Clause of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to admit new states. All 37 new states were admitted by an act of Congress. The District Clause of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to reduce the size of the federal district, which it has previously done.

The substance of H.R. 2056 is irrelevant, since there is never justification for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters, but I will briefly discuss it. Consistent with federal law, the position of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and D.C.'s values, D.C. limits cooperation with federal immigration agencies. 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. Many states, cities and counties have reached the same conclusion.

I urge members to respect the will of D.C. residents by voting NO on this bill.

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