ms. norton ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. norton: my amendment strikes the repeal of the district of columbia budget autonomy referendum which allows d.c. to spend its own local funds, consisting of local taxes and local fees, after a 30-day congressional review period. astonishingly house republicans appear to be so afraid of a local jurisdiction spending its local funds without the approval of a federal body, the u.s. congress, no less, that they will be voting for a second time in little over a month to repeal the referendum. d.c.'s budget autonomy referendum is in effect as i speak. the d.c. council recently passed its first local budget pursuant to the referendum. therefore the repeal would, if done here, would be the most significant reduction in the district's authority to govern itself. since congress granted the city limited home rule in 1973. lawyers differed about the validity of the referendum when d.c. enacted it. however, the referendum has been litigated and there is

ms. norton. the chair: the gentlelady is ecognized for two minutes. ms. norton: would want to move forward with this bill. i will have amendments to strike portions of this bill later. i just want to speak to a couple of them. the extension of the probationary period, for example. that may not raise constitutional issues but g.a.o. report was done and indicated that the problem was not with the length of the probationary period but with the use of the probationary period and that supervisors simply weren't using it and many of them didn't know when the probationary period was. why would we want to lengthen the probationary period? i'm not sure who it helps. does it help the employee? does it help the agency? in any case, depending as i do do n objective source, as i -- on an objective source, this is unnecessary. the downgrading of the s.e.s. is an absolutely bad way to deal with somebody who is not making it as a manager but was good enough to be promoted to the s.e.s. we have invested millions of dollars in an employee by the time that employee gets to b

ms. norton of the district of columbia. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a two-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of presentatives.] the speaker pro tempore: the nays are 238 and the amendment is not adopted. offered 114-113 and on which further and the clerk will rezregget the amendment. the clerk: house report 114-639 nevada.by mr. amodei of the chair: a reported vote is ordered. his will be a two-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. houpts the chair: on this vote the yeas are 185 and the a

councilmembers, and also eleanor holmes norton, who made some remarks to the crowd. ms. holmes norton: every single year the congress tries to undermine our gun laws because they do not do their job, and their job is to pass a national gun bill so that you cannot go someplace else and easily get a gun and bring it into the district of columbia. so this, just the latest group, to call on congress to act, mostly on congressional republicans who have not agree to any form of legislation. none of those republicans were present for the rally, but the group hopes their message was heard. federaleanwhile, background checks for gun purchases orlando nightclub shooting. the fbi conducted more than 2 million background checks in june, up more than 30% from the previous june. background checks also went up after the shootings in san bernardino, and that sandy hook elementary school as well. to one of our other big stories, the forecast -- we had the rain last night during the fireworks. not today. it is hot and steamy. doug: one and humid. we see lower 90's the next few days after t

ms. norton, for five minutes. ms. norton: thank you, mr. speaker. anyone who thought the democrats would go away after we were driven to a sit-in on the house floor for gun safety legislation learned differently very soon after we got home on wednesday, june 29, when events were held all across the country on a national day of action for gun violence. we served notice, yes, there have been moments of outrage and sometimes we have not kept up the battle unseesingly. watch us this time. i am -- unceasingly. watch us this time. i'm very pleased that our very effective police chief, kathy lanier, came with me to a round table where we heard not on from her but from residents of the district of columbia who have experienced the incredible heartache and throbbing agony of loss of loved ones to gun violence. then this morning, unstimulated me, parents organized themselves to come to the capitol at 9:00 a.m. they call themselves d.c. moms and dads for rational gun safety legislation. they were -- they are a group of spontaneously formed district of columbia

ms. norton, for five minutes. ms. norton: thank you, mr. speaker. anyone who thought the democrats would go away after we were driven to a sit-in on the house floor for gun safety legislation learned differently very soon after we got home on wednesday, june 29, when events were held all across the country on a national day of action for gun violence. we served notice, yes, there have been moments of outrage and sometimes we have not kept up the battle unseesingly. watch us this time. i am -- unceasingly. watch us this time. i'm very pleased that our very effective police chief, kathy lanier, came with me to a round table where we heard not on from her but from residents of the district of columbia who have experienced the incredible heartache and throbbing agony of loss of loved ones to gun violence. then this morning, unstimulated me, parents organized themselves to come to the capitol at 9:00 a.m. they call themselves d.c. moms and dads for rational gun safety legislation. they were -- they are a group of spontaneously formed district of columbia

ms. norton. >> thank you, mr. chairman. director comey, i appreciate your conduct of this investigation in a nonpartisan way. in keeping with the sterling reputation, which has led presidents of both parties to appoint you to highly placed law enforcement positions, in our federal government. i want to say for the record that this hearing where you call the prosecutor, mr. comey, stands in the place of the prosecutor, because the attorney general has accepted entirely the fbi's recommendations. when you call the prosecutor to give account for the decision to prosecute or not a particular individual raises serious questions of separation of powers and particularly when you're questioning the prosecutor's decision with respect to the decision to prosecute or not a particular individual, it raises serious constitutional questions. these hearings are so often accusatory that they yield no guidance as to how to conduct business in the future. and that's the way it looks -- it looks as though that is how this hearing is going. of

ms. norton, referred to this. why did we exempt ourselves from the same rules. apparently an e-mail account on his business card. we all have access to classified information. so i would like to challenge my republican colleagues here today. let's work together and introduce legislation to make the same laws apply to us as applies to the executive branch and to secretary clinton. i would be happy to join in it such legislation to make sure that we're not being hypocritical on this panel, that we're holding ourselves to the same standards as secretary clinton, and not trying to accuse her of things that we may be guilty of ourselves. i bet my colleagues would be the first to complain if, for example, e-mails were retroactively classified. that's a situation that most people in public service would object to pretty strongly. how did you know at the time if you had no idea. so i think it's very important. if we want as congress to have the trust of the american people, to not be hypocritical, to uphold the same standards we want to see by others. and i'm thankful w

ms. holmes norton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for three minutes. ms. norton: i thank my good friend for yielding to me because i must rise in strong opposition to this rule and bill. it assault the district of columbia's ability to govern itself. this bill contains un-democratic, harmful, big government riders that prohibit the d.c. government from spending its local funds consisting of local taxes and fees as it deems necessary. in addition, the republican-led rules committee has allowed representative palmer to offer an amendment that interferes with my jurisdiction to keep it from spending its local funds to enforce its own employment anti-discrimination law. this bill repeals the d.c. budget autonomy referendum which allows d.c. to spend its local funds after a 30-day review period. the rules committee prevented me from offering my amendments to strike the provisions in this bill that prohibit d.c. from spending its local funds on taxing and regulating marijuana sales and on abortion services for low-income women. let's see what this does. while rec

ms. norton: i thank my friend for yielding to me and i come to rise in strong opposition to this bill. republicans have a hard time winning, especially on abortion. already, no federal funds for abortion except rape, incease or life of a mother. already religious objections must be accommodated. but this bill allows the mployer to veto his employee's reproductive health choices. how un-american. let's thank the supreme court of the united states that in an unusual move, has just sent a case back to the justice department for an appropriate compromise after nuns did not want to fill out a form and solving them from making a decision on abortion for their employees. the court said you can find an answer without did he priving employees of their health care choices. some republicans won't be satisfied until abortion is unavailable nationwide as congress has done to its shame for poor women in the district of columbia, whose local tax funds cannot be used for abortion services. this choice belongs to women and to women alone. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: th

ms. norton, referred to this. why did we exempt ourselves from the same rules? appare apparently, our chairman lists his private e-mail account on his business card. we all have access to classified information. i would like to challenge my republican colleague s here today. let's work together and introduce legislation to make the same laws apply to us as apply to the executive branch under secretary clinton. i would be happy to join in such legislation to make sure that we're not being hypocritical on this panel, that we're holding ourselves to the same standards as secretary clinton. and not trying to accuse her of things that we may be guilty of ourselves. i bet my colleagues would be the first to complain if, for example, e-mails were retroactively classified. that's a situation most people in public service would object to pretty strongly. how did you know at the time if you had no idea? so i think it's very important if we want as congress to have the trust of the american people, to not being hypocritical. to uphold the same standards that we want to see

ms. norton: mr. speaker, i am proud that the nation's capital has the strongest gun safety laws in the country, yet the capitol complex was on lockdown on tuesday where d.c. police chased suspects armed with a machine gun and shooting at police near the capitol. people and guns travel through interstate commerce. d.c. strong gun laws are still on the books despite pro-gun lawsuits and incease tantly proposed republican riders. but local and state laws to protect our people are undermined by inaction by this congress. the charleston loophole is the decent place to begin. we sat in on the house floor because we could not go home in silence for july 4. we declared no recess from the gun show loophole until universal background checks become the law of the land. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr

ms. norton, referred to this. why did we exempt ourselves from the same rules? appare apparently, our chairman lists his private e-mail account on his business card. we all have access to classified information. i would like to challenge my republican colleague s here today. let's work together and introduce legislation to make the same laws apply to us as apply to the executive branch under secretary clinton. i would be happy to join in such legislation to make sure that we're not being hypocritical on this panel, that we're holding ourselves to the same standards as secretary clinton. and not trying to accuse her of things that we may be guilty of ourselves. i bet my colleagues would be the first to complain if, for example, e-mails were retroactively classified. that's a situation most people in public service would object to pretty strongly. how did you know at the time if you had no idea? so i think it's very important if we want as congress to have the trust of the american people, to not being hypocritical. to uphold the same standards that we want to see

ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent to bring up h.r. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background check legislation in onor of the memory of of brichelle jones, who at 16 with her friends was gunned down in a drive-by shooting but who never received a moment of silence on this house floor. the speaker pro tempore: as previously announced, the unanimous consent request cannot be entertained. the gentlewoman from district of columbia's time will be charged against the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i would like to inquire of the gentleman from alabama how many more unanimous consent requests we need to make until the republicans stop this obstruction and allow the bill to come forward. appy to yield for an answer. mr. byrne: i reserve. mr. polis: mr. speaker, i think it's clear that we will not allow the republicans to continue to obstruct these commonsense, bipartisan bills to prevent terrorists from assembling arsenals to kill our fellow americans and to prevent convicted felons from legally acquiring firearms and we're joined by a leader from new york and i'm proud to yield to the gentlelady,

ms. norton. >> thank you mr. chairman. director comey i appreciate your conduct this investigation in a nonpartisan way in keeping with the sterling reputation which has led presidents of both parties to point you to highly appraised law-enforcement in our federal government. i want to say for the record that this hearing where you call the prosecutor mr. comey stance -- stands in the face of the prosecutor that the attorney general has accepted entirely. the fbi's recommendations. we call the prosecutor to give accounts for the the decision to prosecute or not a particular raises serious questions of separation of powers and particularly when you're questioning the prosecutor's decision which -- with respect to the decision to prosecute or not a particular individual raises serious constitutional questions. these hearings are so often accusatory that they yield no guidance as to how to conduct business in the future. that is the way it looks. it looks as though that that is how this hearing is going. of course now everyon