Photo by Alicia Aleman

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 20-16 last night to advance a measure that would overturn D.C.’s Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act.

The law prevents employers from discriminating based on reproductive health decisions, including having an abortion or using birth control. And that makes religious groups—and the GOP—very unhappy.

“Both the [Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act] and the [Human Rights Amendment Act ] subjugate the Church’s moral teaching to the moral views of the government, violating the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and result in discrimination against religious believers,” the Archdiocese of Washington said in a statement hailing the committee’s vote.

D.C. leaders, abortion groups, and statehood activists were rather less pleased.

“I can see why the Majority has scheduled this markup at the unusual hour of 5 p.m. There is not pride to be taken in what the committee is doing today,” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton bristled in her statement to the committee. “The reason for Republicans’ action today boils down to their political disagreement with the District’s local law, their willingness to override their own local control principles, and above all, their subservience to the interest groups that are the prime movers for today’s markup.

“In the District of Columbia, choosing the health care option that is best for you is not a political issue; it is a human rights issue that is not up for debate,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. “Today’s action in the House is a reminder that tax-paying District residents deserve the same rights that residents in every state enjoy—the right to self-govern.”

Activists for D.C. statehood also made a show of their disapproval at the committee meeting and were escorted from the chamber by U.S. Capitol Police.

Supporters of DC Equality speaking out during the House Oversight Hearing as they attempt to block local DC legislation

Posted by DC Vote on Tuesday, April 21, 2015

In order to upend the law—which would only be the fourth time a D.C. law was blocked by Congress—the House and Senate would have to vote against it, and the president would need to sign it. That is almost certainly not going to happen. But even the attempt indicates that the city’s relationship with Congress may be about to get even rockier. From the Post:

Facing so many hurdles, no House committee has initiated the process to upend a D.C. law in 23 years, and only three have ever passed. But with the District’s decision to proceed with legalizing marijuana in February, and conservatives last month threatening to undo D.C. gun laws, both sides agreed the committee vote marked an early low point since Republicans took control of Congress that could portend more conflict ahead.

Republicans have urged House budget leaders to block funding for D.C. to enforce the reproductive discrimination law if a congressional repeal does not succeed before a May 2 deadline. The ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee also scheduled what may be a first on Wednesday night: a town hall meeting with residents in D.C. to discuss how the next Republican-led congressional budget could adversely impact the city.

Filed Under: congress, eleanor holmes norton, gop, statehood,