Norton Renews Vow to Defeat Fallon Bill Prohibiting D.C. from Requiring COVID-19 Vaccinations to Enter Facilities

Statement

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today renewed her vow to defeat an anti-home-rule bill introduced by Congressman Pat Fallon (R-TX) that would prohibit the District of Columbia from requiring an individual to present documentation of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entering any building, facility or other venue in D.C. When this bill was introduced in August 2021, D.C. had no such requirement, but starting January 15, proof of COVID-I9 vaccination will be required to enter many facilities in D.C., including restaurants.

"Congressman Fallon is from Texas," Norton said. "It's interesting to me how these ill-conceived bills to restrict the rights of D.C. to govern itself always come from members of Congress with no ties to D.C.

"D.C. has a right, based on the science, to do what it can to protect our residents. It isn't any of Congressman Fallon's business to insert himself into a purely local matter.

"It is impossible to reconcile House Republicans' outspoken support for local control of local affairs with their undemocratic, authoritarian interference in the District's local affairs. Republicans are completely unpersuasive to suggest, as they do, that local control stops at the District's borders because Congress has constitutional authority to legislate for the District. Congress has the power to legislate on the federal issues that concern Republicans, too, yet they always want to reduce the role of the federal government and to give more power to state and local governments, regardless of constitutional authority to address issues. That goes double for the District of Columbia."

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