Eleanor Holmes Norton Criticizes D.C. Policing Bill as Undemocratic and Paternalistic

Opposition to the D.C. Policing Bill

• 💡 Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton strongly opposes the bill, labeling it "undemocratic and paternalistic" and an infringement on D.C. residents' self-governance.
• 📌 She highlights that over 700,000 D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable of governing themselves.
• ⚠️ Letters opposing the bill from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the entire D.C. council, and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwab were submitted for the record.

Lack of Local Coordination and D.C. Autonomy

• 🚫 There has been no coordination with the D.C. Mayor or City Council regarding this bill, and they both oppose it.
• 🏛️ Norton contrasts the democratic process in D.C., where residents can vote out council members, with Congress's role, where D.C. residents have no voting representation and cannot hold members accountable for local matters.
• 📜 She references President Richard Nixon's signing statement on the D.C. Home Rule Act, emphasizing the goal of placing responsibility for local functions under local control.

D.C. Statehood as a Solution

• 🇺🇸 Norton argues that the only solution to the undemocratic treatment of D.C. residents is granting D.C. statehood.
• 🗺️ The D.C. statehood bill (HR51) would grant full local self-government and voting representation, reducing the federal district to essential government buildings while the rest becomes a new state.
• 📊 The proposed new state would have a larger population than two existing states and pays more federal taxes per capita than any state.

Clarifications on Pursuit Criteria

• 🔍 Norton clarifies that the bill does not establish 14 criteria for police pursuits, contrary to claims made during debate.
• ⚖️ The actual law requires that a suspect must have committed a crime of violence or pose an imminent threat, and the pursuit must be necessary to protect others, with all other options exhausted.