Norton Releases Remarks Ahead of Speaking on House Floor Opposing Bill to Codify President Trump’s Efforts to Control D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her remarks, as prepared for delivery, ahead of speaking on the House floor opposing the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act, introduced by Rep. John McGuire (R-VA). The bill would undermine D.C.'s autonomy by codifying parts of President Trump's executive order of the same name into law. Norton will speak on the House floor this afternoon at approximately 2:00 p.m.

"D.C. is a world-class city, yet this bill seeks to codify and encourage President Trump's efforts to control and transform D.C., as well as to demonize D.C. and its 700,000 residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown. President Trump has already called for the repeal of D.C. home rule, federalized the D.C. police department, deployed troops and masked federal agents on D.C.'s streets, terrorized immigrants in D.C., demolished the East Wing of the White House, removed the nonprofit managing the public golf courses in D.C. and announced the closure of the Kennedy Center," Norton said. "This bill will only embolden him."

McGuire's bill would establish the "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Commission." As originally introduced, the Commission included only federal officials as members of the Commission and excluded any representation from the D.C. government, despite the power to make consequential changes affecting the District. The bill has since been amended to allow a representative from the D.C. Mayor's Office as one of its 10 members.

Floor Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act of 2026 (H.R. 5103)

March 25, 2026

I strongly oppose this bill. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record letters opposing this bill from the District of Columbia Mayor and every member of the D.C. Council.

D.C. is a world-class city, yet this bill seeks to codify and encourage President Trump's efforts to control and transform D.C., as well as to demonize D.C. and its 700,000 residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown. President Trump has already called for the repeal of D.C. home rule, federalized the D.C. police department, deployed troops and masked federal agents on D.C.'s streets, terrorized immigrants in D.C., demolished the East Wing of the White House, removed the nonprofit managing the public golf courses in D.C. and announced the closure of the Kennedy Center. This bill will only embolden him.

This bill would establish in the executive branch the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Commission. The Commission's responsibilities include increasing civil immigration enforcement in D.C., deploying more federal law enforcement officers in D.C. and increasing the number of people carrying guns in D.C.

The Commission's top priority is to increase civil immigration enforcement in D.C. Specifically, the Commission is required to ensure the "maximum enforcement of Federal immigration law within the District of Columbia, including policies to encourage the redirection of available Federal, State, or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal aliens," and to monitor D.C.'s "compliance with the enforcement of Federal immigration law." The Commission is also required to facilitate the "deployment of a more robust Federal law enforcement presence" in D.C. and to "increase the speed and lower the costs of processing concealed carry" permits in D.C.

However, D.C. does not want masked federal agents terrorizing communities, separating families and destroying the community trust needed for effective local policing, or more guns on the streets.

This bill would also require the Secretary of the Interior to "develop a program to beautify" D.C., even though D.C. is already one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

This Congress, Republicans have filed over 100 bills, amendments and riders to repeal, amend or block D.C. from carrying out local laws and policies. The House has already passed 10 of those bills.

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.

Congress has the authority to admit D.C. as a state. The D.C. statehood bill, H.R. 51, 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 my colleagues to vote NO on H.R. 5103.

Free D.C.

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