Speech #980096949

Mr. President. on June 23. 1983. the Supreme Court handed down its sweeping decision in Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha. 103 S. Ct. 2764 (1983). which calls into question the legitimacy of all legislative veto provisions enacted and used by the Congress over a number of decades. One of the more than 200 statutes apparently affected by the Chadha decision is the District of Columbia SelfGovernment and Governmental Reorganization Act of 1973. also known as the Home Rule Act. When considered and enacted by the Congress in the early 1970s. a scheme was devised by which the citizens of the District of Columbia could govern themselves. while the Congress retained the right to exercise its constitutional authority to act "as legislature for the District." To this end. a process by which all District City Council enactments are sent to the Congress for review. was enacted.