Yet more proof has surfaced.
The Hill is reporting Del. Norton is very unhappy about the congressional fight over the budget, which has the effect of holding up the District's budget. “District residents are being treated as colonists of the Congress of the United States," Norton said. "We are absolutely outraged. This is the functional equivalent of bombing innocent civilians."
Norton continued blathering on:
"We've sustained attack after attack as the Republicans invade our right to govern ourselves," Norton said, adding she is not confident lawmakers will reach a deal.Of course District of Columbia residents have no constitutional right to govern themselves. The District is subject to the will of Congress. If Norton doesn't like this arrangement she should campaign for a constitutional amendment to give the District true self-government.
"I'm not confident. But if they don't get a deal done, if these Republicans insist that if they don't get the whole pie, they'll take the whole country down with them, then we have got to make them pay the price."
I'm certainly not going to defend Del. Norton's Marxism, but she's not crazy for saying we DC residents have a right to govern ourselves. It's not a Constitutional right, but it is a moral right.
ReplyDeleteDel. Norton, of course, does often "campaign for a constitutional amendment to give the District true self-government." She's also an advocate of statehood which would have the same effect.
You raise a fair point, but I covered Norton for years as a reporter at The Bond Buyer newspaper and I cannot recall her ever endorsing a constitutional amendment. I believe she was on-board with Sen. Orrin Hatch's silly unconstitutional proposal to give DC a vote in the House in exchange for adding a seat to the Utah delegation. Norton has, as you note, long pushed for DC statehood.
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