Norton Vows to Defeat Paul Bill Blocking Two D.C. Vaccine Mandates

Statement

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said today that she will defeat a bill introduced yesterday by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that would nullify the District of Columbia's requirements that individuals present documentation of COVID-19 vaccination to enter certain facilities and that students receive COVID-19 vaccination. Paul is the sixth member this Congress to try to block a D.C. vaccine policy.

"Senator Paul is abusing Congress' undemocratic authority over D.C. by trying to overturn two D.C. vaccine policies, which were adopted by the duly elected local D.C. government," Norton said. "I will defeat the Paul bill, just as I have defeated his repeated attempts in prior Congresses to overturn D.C.'s gun violence prevention laws, and just as I will defeat the five other bills to overturn D.C. vaccine policy."

Last week, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) introduced a bill that would nullify D.C.'s order that requires individuals to present documentation of COVID-19 vaccination to enter certain facilities. Two weeks ago, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced he would introduce a bill that would block a bill passed by the D.C. Council that requires students to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Earlier this Congress, Representative Michael Cloud (R-TX) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a disapproval resolution that would have blocked D.C.'s bill that permits minors to receive a vaccination without parental consent from taking effect. Norton defeated this resolution, which has since expired, and D.C.'s bill is now law. Representative Pat Fallon (R-TX) introduced a bill that would prohibit D.C. from requiring an individual to present documentation of COVID-19 vaccination to enter any building, facility or other venue.

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