DC House Delegate Reportedly Has "Heated Exchange" With President Obama Over DC Municipal Funding
Eleanor Holmes Norton goes to bat for her constituents
Democrats may push the line that it's Republicans holding the government hostage in the current partial shutdown, but Democrats caught in the crossfire don't feel that way. Yesterday, DC's mayor Vincent Gray, a Democrat, confronted Harry Reid over Democrats' refusal to agree to a Republican measure that would fund Washington's municipal government during the shutdown. Reid responded by telling Gray he was on his side and not to "screw it up."
DC's House delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, meanwhile, reportedly confronted President Obama at a meeting he had with House Democrats at the White House yesterday.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) had what some colleagues called "a heated exchange" and what she described as "a conversation" with President Obama during a White House meeting Wednesday afternoon regarding the District's budget constraints as a result of the partial government shutdown.
Norton attended the meeting in the White House East Room with nearly 200 House Democrats and was one of a handful given the opportunity to ask the president a question. When she was called upon, Norton pressed Obama to support a House-passed bill that would permit the District to use its locally raised tax funds to maintain operations until Dec. 15.
The Post's source, a fellow Democrat lawmaker, described Norton as "parochial." Obama insisted he won't fund the government piecemeal and Norton reportedly refused to yield the microphone. She says she had a "conversation" with the president. Obama will be having more conversations with House Republicans today.
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