Providing for Consideration of H.R. Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding to me because I must rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 794 and H.R. 5485. They assault the District of Columbia's right to govern itself.

This bill contains undemocratic, harmful, Big Government riders that prohibit the D.C. government from spending its local funds, consisting of local taxes and fees, as it deems necessary.

In addition, the Republican-led Rules Committee has allowed Representative Gary Palmer to offer an amendment and interfere with my jurisdiction to keep D.C. from spending its local funds to enforce its own employment non-discrimination law.

This bill repeals the D.C. budget autonomy referendum, which allows D.C. to spend its local funds after a 30-day review period.

The Rules Committee prevented me from offering my amendments to strike the provisions in this bill that prohibit D.C. from spending its local funds on taxing and regulating marijuana sales and on abortion services for low-income women.

Let's see the results.

While recreational marijuana use is legal under D.C. law, Congress has uniquely prohibited the city from spending its local funds to set up a tax and regulatory system. This rider, therefore, has been referred to as the Drug Dealer Protection Act.

As one marijuana dealer told the press, the rider is ``a license for me to print money.''

Regulating marijuana, like alcohol, would allow D.C., instead of violent drug gangs, to control marijuana production, distribution, sales, and revenue collection.

Every State has the authority to spend its own funds on abortion services for low-income women, and 17 States fund these services. The rider in this bill effectively prevents low-income women in D.C. from exercising their constitutional right to abortion, just affirmed by the Supreme Court, by depriving them of necessary funds.

Republicans claim to support devolving Federal authority to State and local governments. Here is your chance. That support should not end at the D.C. border. The Constitution allows, but does not require, Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters.

The Rules Committee had a choice to allow me to offer my amendments on the floor to strike the D.C. marijuana and abortion riders as well as to block the amendment on the D.C. non-discrimination law. In our democracy in the 21st century, these decisions should not be difficult because these are purely local matters.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

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