Gay political groups urge Presidential veto of DC Appropriations Bill

GAY AND LESBIAN ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE
OF WASHINGTON
P. O. Box 75265
Washington, D.C. 20013

September 21, 1999

The Honorable William J. Clinton
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As representatives of the leading local gay and lesbian political groups in our Nation’s Capital, we are writing to urge you to veto the District of Columbia Appropriations bill for FY 2000.

The bill that has emerged from Congress is laden with social riders that are obnoxious and objectionable. Among the worst of these are provisions that would:

(1) forbid the use of the District’s own funds to implement a needle exchange program, and even the use of private funds for such programs sponsored by any entity receiving federal funding;

(2) forbid the implementation of the medical marijuana initiative that passed in November 1998 by better than a 2-to-1 margin, winning every precinct; and

(3) forbid the use of the District’s own funds to implement a domestic partnership program for D.C. government employees.

These provisions violate the fundamental principles of self-government that our nation was founded upon. It is as true now as in 1776: Taxation without representation is tyranny. There is no legitimate federal interest that would excuse this flagrant abuse of Congressional powers, in shameless contempt for the expressed will of the people of the District of Columbia.

During the Congressional debate, members of your staff publicly warned that you would veto the D.C. budget if it came to your desk burdened with arbitrary and insulting amendments. This has regrettably come to pass. We urge you to send this measure back to Capitol Hill promptly, and to work with responsible Congressional leaders to have the objectionable riders removed before the budget returns to your office.

Thank you for your consideration and attention.

Sincerely,

Craig Howell
President
Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington

Paul Dionne
President
Capital Area Log Cabin

Everett E. Hamilton, Jr.
President
D.C. Coalition

Loyal T. R. Snyder
President
Gertrude Stein Democratic Club

cc: Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
Honorable Anthony A. Williams
Honorable Linda Cropp
Human Rights Campaign
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force