Norton Opposes Anti-Home Rule Bill to Rename D.C. Street

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced an anti-home rule bill to rename a section of 18^th Street NW in Dupont Circle as "Jimmy Lai Way," Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) pointed out that D.C. is not a blank slate for Congress to fill in as it pleases, contrary to the will of the 700,000 people who live in the District permanently. Smith's bill would rename the portion of 18^th Street Northwest between Church Street and P Street after Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong businessman, democracy advocate, and critic of the Chinese Communist Party currently imprisoned in Hong Kong.

"No matter how well-intentioned an initiative is, it is never appropriate for members of Congress not elected by D.C. residents to legislate on local D.C. matters, particularly quintessentially local ones like street names," Norton said. "D.C. is not a blank slate for Congress to fill in as it pleases.

"There are more than 700,000 D.C. residents who live here permanently, who pay more federal taxes per capita than any state, who elected me to serve them in Congress, and who are worthy and capable of self-government. Rep. Smith was elected to serve the interests of his constituents in New Jersey, who stand to gain nothing from his recent encroachments on D.C.'s right to govern itself."

Smith introduced a disapproval resolutionon D.C.'s Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024, but the resolution was introduced too late to have any legal effect, even if enacted, because the congressional review period outlined in the Home Rule Act (HRA) had already expired.

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