DC Del. Norton Denied Chance to Testify on bill

[charminglife]

I HATE how DC is subjected to this bullshit in congress. There are 500,000+ people living in this city without constitutional representation and now their delegate, who doesn't even have a VOTE, cant testify on behalf of her constituents? wtf.

Norton Denied Chance to Testify on D.C. Abortion Bill

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton announced today that she will not be given the opportunity to testify during a congressional hearing on a bill that would prohibit abortions in D.C. after 20 weeks.

This Thursday the House Subcommittee on the Constitution will consider the bill introduced by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) in January. (A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee.) Last week Norton requested the right to speak—which could have been granted by Franks, who is also the committee's chair—as she has for other hearings in which legislation directly targeting D.C. is considered. Her request was denied.

“The post-20-week D.C. abortion ban bill targets an entire group of individuals, women who live in the District of Columbia, and their constitutional rights. Using the women of one congressional district to reach for extreme encroachments on women’s reproductive rights has become a pattern of the House Republican majority, but also reflected nationwide. We will vigorously fight the bullying tactics of the Republican majority against the District’s women, and in standing up for ourselves, we recognize that we are also in the larger fight to protect the reproductive rights of women everywhere,” said Norton in a statement.

Norton announced that she would participate in a press conference before the hearing with Mayor Vince Gray and Christy Zink, a professor at the George Washington University who had an abortion after 20 weeks due to the malformation of the fetus. Zink will be testifying against the bill.

In response to Franks' bill, DC Vote is encouraging D.C. residents to bring their constituent problems to "Mayor" Franks' D.C. Constituent Services Day on May 23. In March a small group of pro-choice and pro-D.C. activists protested outside Franks' district office in Glendale, Arizona against the bill.

The Virginia legislature considered a similar restriction this year and rejected it. The 20-week restrictions have been passed in Alabama, Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Kansas.

dcist.com/2012/05/norton_denied_chance_to_testify_on.php

[OscarQ]

That's bullshit!

[karinothing]

While I agree it is BS, perhaps DC could stop electing crazy ridiculous people like Barry and they would get their right ot home rule back.

[iammalcolmx]

May 16, 2012 11:51:58 GMT -5 karinothing said:

While I agree it is BS, perhaps DC could stop electing crazy ridiculous people like Barry and they would get their right ot home rule back.

Oh please. Back in the day Barry did tons of good for the city. He started the Summer Youth Employment Program and actually worked with Congress to get stuff done for the city. DC is some crazy taxes and no fucking vote. Since when did electing "crazy" people become justification for Taxation Without Representation? If this was the case a shitton of places would be as powerless as the district.

[iammalcolmx]

I wonder what Nortons real reaction was. She is known to have a potty mouth. I remember when she was hear cursing out Tony Williams, something terrible, because he endorsed school vouchers.

[IIOY]

I don't know shit about Eleanor Norton except that she has a crazy good sense of humor on The Colbert Report and that makes her OK by me.

[meshaliuknits]

May 16, 2012 12:04:12 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I don't know shit about Eleanor Norton except that she has a crazy good sense of humor on The Colbert Report and that makes her OK by me.

This is where I'm at. She seems kind of awesome.

[iammalcolmx]

May 16, 2012 12:04:12 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I don't know shit about Eleanor Norton except that she has a crazy good sense of humor on The Colbert Report and that makes her OK by me.

She's about as crotchety as you are that's why, LOL!!

[charminglife]

May 16, 2012 11:51:58 GMT -5 karinothing said:

While I agree it is BS, perhaps DC could stop electing crazy ridiculous people like Barry and they would get their right ot home rule back.

There are lots of other states that elect crazy people too. Perhaps Minnesota should lose a rep for electing Michelle Bachmann?

[pb]

May 16, 2012 11:56:26 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

May 16, 2012 11:51:58 GMT -5 karinothing said:

While I agree it is BS, perhaps DC could stop electing crazy ridiculous people like Barry and they would get their right ot home rule back.

Oh please. Back in the day Barry did tons of good for the city. He started the Summer Youth Employment Program and actually worked with Congress to get stuff done for the city. DC is some crazy taxes and no fucking vote. Since when did electing "crazy" people become justification for Taxation Without Representation? If this was the case a shitton of places would be as powerless as the district.

I love how people blame Marion Barry for the city's woes.