The House has approved two resolutions that would block the District of Columbian’s noncitizens from being allowed to vote and would disapprove its criminal code. This is considered to be a part of a general move to block the nation’s capital from having these measures enforced.
The D.C. The Home Rule Act states that Congress can block city laws from being enacted if a disapproval resolution passes through both the House and the Senate and is then signed by the President. Both of these measures are not likely to pass through the Senate.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who represents D.C. in Congress, has criticized the GOP for their attempt to stop the city’s noncitizens from voting. She further noted that this attempt is only possible because of D.C.’s lack of statehood.
The first of the two resolutions targeted D.C.’s Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act, which was first approved in October. This measure would allow non citizen residents to have voting rights in local elections. On Thursday the House disapproved the bill in a 260-162 vote. This means that 42 Democrats joined the Republicans in their efforts despite being urged by the Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) to vote “no.”
The House’s second resolution disapproved of D.C.’s revised criminal code, which had been approved by the council in November. The resolution was brought forth by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).
