Alabama congressman uses U.S. Constitution to troll liberal D.C. mayor on Twitter

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After the U.S. House of Representatives approved a religious liberty amendment brought by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL6), the Mayor of Washington, D.C. took to Twitter to slam the Alabama Congressman in typical liberal fashion.

Another morally reprehensible attempt by @USRepGaryPalmer to undermine local control in DC & attack reproductive health decisions in DC.

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) July 7, 2016

What Mayor Bowser called an “attack on reproductive health decisions” was actually an enlargement of freedom for employers. Palmer’s amendment allows for business owners in D.C. to decide whether or not they wish to include abortion coverage as part of their employee compensation packages.

In instances outside of the District, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that in some circumstances, federal imposition of abortion coverage requirements are a violation of religious freedom, as in the now famous Hobby Lobby case.

With the shot sent his way on Twitter, Palmer fired back by simply citing the U.S. Constitution.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution https://t.co/jFNHp0zFxO

— Gary Palmer (@USRepGaryPalmer) July 7, 2016

That section of the Constitution is relevant because it gives congress legislative authority over the District of Columbia. It reads:

[The Congress shall have power] To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings

Ironically, in the case of an unfavorable outcome to their policy preferences, liberals in this instance favor local control and the decentralization of power, a drastic flip from their typical idolization of Federal power. While conservative’s basis on local control has a sound constitutional basis in the Tenth Amendment, the liberals do not seem to have a clause to stand on.