U.S. Congressmen voted in favor of giving more independence to Washington

The lower house of Congress approved a bill extending the powers of municipal authorities in Washington, reports The New York Times. The bill removes the prohibition on the use of income from municipal taxes to help poor women pay for abortions.

In addition, in the event of further allegations of the bill, DC would be able to legalize marijuana use for medical purposes – the corresponding reform was approved by local voters in a referendum back in 1998. America’s capital, which is more commonly known as Washington, and officially named the District of Columbia, has a special status within the United States. City authorities are developing their own legislation, but it is a necessary co-ordination in the federal Congress.

Eleanor Holmes Norton (Eleanor Holmes Norton), Washington’s delegate to the House of Representatives, has no right to vote, noted that the document is approved by legislators is a major shift for the city. With the strengthening of the positions of the Democrats in Congress, the U.S. capital’s residents associated considerable hope for greater independence of the city. In particular, the activists want to get full representation in Congress, and President Barack Obama is known as a supporter of the relevant reforms.