Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that the House Rules Committee is scheduled to consider amendments to the fiscal year 2018 District of Columbia Appropriations bill, including Norton’s amendments to strike all four anti-home-rule riders from the bill, during a markup tomorrow, Wednesday, September 6, 2017, in H-312 (U.S. Capitol).

Faced with the almost-disappearance of affordable housing in the District of Columbia and across the nation, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) filed an amendment to the fiscal year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations (THUD) bill to increase the funding for Section 8 tenant-based vouchers by 1 percent, or $187 million, which would translate into approximately 21,000 new housing vouchers. Recipients use the vouchers to reduce their rents in private apartments.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) filed an amendment to the fiscal year 2018 Transportation, Housing And Urban Development Appropriations bill to prohibit states that receive federal transportation funding from engaging in unconstitutional profiling based on physical characteristics.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today filed amendments to strike all four anti-home-rule riders from the House’s fiscal year 2018 District of Columbia Appropriations bill, which is expected to be considered on the floor next month when Congress returns from recess. Norton’s amendments would strike the riders that prohibit D.C. from spending its local funds on marijuana commercialization and on abortions for low-income women, as well as those that repeal D.C.’s medical aid-in-dying law, the Death with Dignity Act, and budget autonomy referendum.

The office Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that Norton has introduced a bill to extend the District of Columbia’s lease with the National Park Service to use the land under Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (RFK) by 50 years, for a total period of 100 years. Norton said the lease extension will provide the long-term stability required to redevelop the RFK site to include more green space for public use, sports fields, pedestrian bridges to connect the area to Wards 7 and 8, and a memorial more fitting to the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy.

The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released Norton’s testimony on her amendment to the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810) to give the District of Columbia home-rule authority over the D.C. National Guard. Norton filed her amendment at the House Rules Committee, which is considering H.R. 2810 tomorrow.

The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released Norton’s prepared remarks in advance of a press conference today with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and a national coalition working to protect local D.C. laws from being blocked or overturned by a record number of riders and threats of interference during the fiscal year 2018 appropriations process.

The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that Norton will host a press conference with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and a coalition of national organizations to protect D.C.’s local laws during the fiscal year 2018 appropriations process on Monday, July 10, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., in HVC-215 (Capitol Visitor Center.  With the help of coalition partners, Norton has been able to turn back most of the riders before. 

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced today that she has filed an amendment to the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810) to give the District of Columbia home-rule authority over the D.C. National Guard. Norton filed her amendment at the House Rules Committee, which is expected to consider H.R. 2810 next week. Norton’s amendment is the same text as her bill, the District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act, which would give the D.C. mayor the authority that the chief executive of states and territories have over their Guards.

The office Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released Norton’s statement on her meeting with U.S. Park Police Chief Robert MacLean to discuss last week’s handcuffing by Park Police of three juveniles for selling water on the National Mall.

The office Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said Norton succeeded in securing $30 million for her top priority the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG), in the House’s fiscal year 2017 District of Columbia Appropriations bill, released today, a $10 million increase from the House’s fiscal year 2016 D.C. Appropriations bill. She also succeeded in preventing any new anti-home-rule riders from being included in the bill, despite public threats to repeal D.C.’s new medical aid-in-dying law, the Death with Dignity Act (DWDA), and its new law regulating the labeling of personal hygiene products, particularly wet wipes, as safe to flush.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released letters from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), which represents water utilities across the country, and DC Water expressing their strong opposition to efforts to block the District of Columbia’s new law regulating the labeling of personal hygiene products, particularly wet wipes, as safe to flush.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill to clarify that the District of Columbia has the authority to enter into cooperative management agreements (CMAs) with the National Park Service (NPS) to maintain and invest in NPS properties in the city. 

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today responded to the announcement that Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) has been recommended by the Republican Steering Committee as the next chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR), which has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia, and that he is expected to be confirmed in that role by a vote of the full Republican Caucus next week. Norton said that if Representative Gowdy (R-SC) operates as OGR chairman as he has in the past, she believes he will respect D.C.’s right to govern itself without congressional interference in the city’s local affairs.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released her letter to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) asking for a committee hearing to examine the transportation of lithium batteries by air and U.S. efforts to ban electronics larger than cellphones in carry-on bags on commercial airplanes. Norton said without congressional oversight federal agencies are flying blind on this dangerous issue, which could bring down an airplane.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today thanked District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and joined the Mayor and other city officials and leaders to break ground on South Capitol Street Apartments, a rare project that will bring hundreds of affordable housing units to Ward 8. Norton, whose work in Congress resulted in federal funding for the project, praised the development of affordable housing in Ward 8, where affordable housing is most needed due to the District’s increasingly costly housing market.

Next week, during National Infrastructure Week (May 15-19), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today at a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) hearing on U.S. airline customer service got officials representing four major airlines to commit to a major customer service reform. United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines agreed to shorten their contracts of carriage with passengers, which list the services airline passengers are entitled to, from lengthy, legal jargon into simplified language.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that, following negotiations with the Republican Congress and the Trump White House, the fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill, released today, is largely a victory for the District of Columbia. The omnibus, which funds the federal government through September 30, 2017, contains no new anti-home-rule riders; maintains $40 million for Norton’s major priority, the D.C.

As Congress prepares to come back from its spring recess tomorrow, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR), noted that OGR Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) announced during the recess that he would give up his seat, possibly before the end of this Congress.  Norton issued the following statement