- We are absolutely outraged. This is the functional equivalent of bombing innocent civilians. It’s time that the District of Columbia told the Congress to go straight to hell.
- Washington D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton • Expressing her rage at a rider on the latest bill proposed by Republicans in the negotiations to prevent a government shutdown. The rider would prohibit the District of Columbia from spending money on abortion services for low-income women. While this sort of rhetoric is very rankling to anybody with a differing opinion, the extent to which federal control encroaches on Washington D.C. is a touchy subject beyond simply the realm of abortion. The city belongs to no state, and thus has no voting rights (and thus no representation) in Congress. Holmes Norton is a “Delegate,” not a “Representative” — while her job description is roughly the same, she explicitly cannot cast any votes. While there’s always something said for keeping one’s cool, it’s not hard to see why she’s up in arms about this. source
