url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/longstanding-norton-negotiated-agreement-means-costs-of-recent-dc,Longstanding Norton-Negotiated Agreement Means Costs of Recent D.C. Demonstrations Picked Up by Federal Government,2014-12-30,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"Reports on the cost to the District of Columbia of providing public safety at marches and demonstrations here on racial profiling in law enforcement nationwide have not noted that Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), at least since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,  has secured annual federal payments for the costs to the city of emergency planning and security related to the presence of the nation’s capital in D.C., where protests are often held, including $12.5 million for this fiscal year and any unexpended funds from prior fiscal years.  Initially, the District had to seek federal reimbursement for such costs each year, but, beginning in the fiscal year of 2009, Norton convinced appropriators to allow what had been annual cost-reimbursement to be converted to an upfront annual payment so that D.C. no longer had to expend its local funds to cover costs related to federal protests and demonstrations in the nation’s capital.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/2015-predictions-2014-review-norton-is-prepared-to-talk-about-with-press,"2015 Predictions, 2014 Review Norton is Prepared to Talk About with Press",2014-12-29,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has issued a release containing a set of predictions about the upcoming 114th Congress along with a discussion of what happened during the 113th, and is prepared to talk about any of them that might be of interest to you.  For example, she is not as concerned about the Republican House and Senate as many residents are. Norton has spent all but 8 of her 25 years in the House with Republicans in charge and often a Republican president too, but has gotten major D.C. bills enacted (e.g., DCTAG, and the $5,000 homebuyer tax credit).  However, she predicts rough times ahead and is wary of appropriation riders, as usual, but believes Republicans, especially Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), has urgent priorities of their own to get done before the 2016 election and are not looking for distractions with big fights over District matters--and fights they would get. Below are some highlights: expects significant relaxation of sequester for domestic and defense funds chairmen of the two D.C. committees have already publicly come out for home rule, and she does not believe home rule is in danger.  She hosted a good meeting in her office with Chairmen Chaffetz and Mayor-elect Bowser how she expects to keep statehood alive in a Republican Congress that opposes it after the Senate hearing on statehood why D.C. marijuana reform is not dead, apart from the loophole how she was able to defeat an amendment to eliminate D.C.’s gun laws, but guns are always a target almost got budget autonomy done, but she does expect to be able to keep budget autonomy referendum from being overturned in Congress expects to keep D.C. from being shut down, maybe even permanently surface transportation bill is due out next year, and as top Democrat on subcommittee, she will play the lead role in one of the largest funding authorizations next year (funds Metro, roads, bridges, etc.) believes all her economic development projects are safe and will continue, including the Department of Homeland Security headquarters in Ward 8. View her full release on these and other 2013-14 issues here. Norton’s new Communication Director will not begin until first of the year. Please direct all inquiries to her new chief of staff, Raven Reeder.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-calls-on-house-republicans-for-delegate-vote-in-114th-congress,Norton Calls on House Republicans for Delegate Vote in 114th Congress,2014-12-29,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Before the 114th Congress convenes, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has begun the fight to restore an equal citizenship right District of Columbia residents once had, but was taken away by House Republicans on the first day of the 112th Congress.  Norton will be joined by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Kerwin Miller, a D.C. veteran and former director of Veterans Affairs for the city, at a press conference on Monday, January 5, at 10:30 a.m., in Cannon 421 to call on House Republicans to restore the District’s vote on the House floor in the Committee of the Whole in the rules of the 114th Congress.  WHO: -Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton -D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser -Kerwin Miller, D.C. Veteran   WHEN: Monday, January 5, 2015, 10:30 a.m. WHERE: Cannon 421 BACKGROUND: The Committee of the Whole vote allows the Delegate representing the District to vote on amendments on the House floor.  Although a revote would occur if such a vote were decisive, that almost never occurs. The Congresswoman had first secured D.C. a vote in the Committee of the Whole during the 103rd Congress, when Democrats were in the majority.  Norton, shortly after becoming a Member of the House, proposed the Committee of the Whole vote in a legal memorandum to House Democratic leaders, who, after vetting it with outside counsel, agreed that the vote was constitutional.   A federal district court and a federal appeals court upheld its constitutionality after Republicans challenged it in court.  When House Republicans regained the majority in the 104th Congress, however, they eliminated D.C.’s vote in the Committee of the Whole.  In the 110th Congress, Democrats regained control of the House and restored the vote.  On the first day as the new majority, House Republicans adopted rules for the 112th Congress that stripped D.C. residents of their vote on the House floor in the Committee of the Whole. Earlier this month, Norton sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) requesting that the House rules for the 114th Congress permit the District of Columbia delegate to vote on the House floor in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.  In September, Norton testified at a Senate committee hearing on her bill to make D.C. the 51st state, a bill which has a record number of House and Senate cosponsors.  The hearing was the first congressional hearing on D.C. statehood in more than 20 years.  Two days later, she testified at the House Rules Committee to try to retrieve the vote in the Committee of the Whole, a vote she won shortly after being elected to Congress.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-set-records-in-113th-congress-undaunted-by-new-republican-0,"Norton Set Records in 113th Congress, Undaunted by New Republican Congress, Makes Predictions for 2015",2014-12-29,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"Norton Defies Unproductive Congress with Bills Enacted, Statehood Breakthroughs; Checkmated Anti-Home-Rule Riders; Perfect Score on Judges Confirmed; More Economic Development Projects; and D.C. Funding Despite Budget Cuts Introduction: Unafraid of the Coming Republican Congress Next year marks 25 years since Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) was elected to Congress.  She has spent only eight of those years in a House controlled by Democrats.  Yet during those years she has found ways to work closely not only with fellow Democrats, but with Republicans, such as former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR) Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), winning major legislation for the District with Republicans in charge and often in the White House as well.  Among the most notable has been the D.C.  Tuition Assistance Grant program (DCTAG), the $5,000 homebuyer tax credit and business tax incentives, and major economic development projects that are transforming the entire Southeast and Southwest Waterfront neighborhoods, NoMa, Ward 8 communities with the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, and Upper Northwest with the former Walter Reed site. Thus, the Congresswoman is not fearful of the coming 114th Congress, where Republicans will control both chambers.  She has seen worse.  Norton does not underestimate the unprecedented far-right posture of today’s Republicans.  She is prepared for more attempts to undermine D.C. home rule, by bills and appropriations riders.  However, by refusing to prejudge how Members will respond to D.C. matters, she has found allies who have helped her pass D.C. bills and on other D.C. matters, even as Norton has opposed them on national issues.  The Congresswoman is particularly pleased that both incoming chairmen with D.C. jurisdiction – Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) – have already publically supported home rule, and Norton and Chaffetz have had a meeting with Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser. Our history of fighting back has not been in vain.  Members of Congress have long been on notice that Norton and D.C. are prepared to fight to protect home rule not only on the House floor, in the Senate, and in the streets of Washington, but also in their districts and states.  Norton has used various forms of communication to inform the constituents of Members who spend their time not working for them, but meddling in D.C.’s local affairs. The way for D.C. to begin the 114th Congress is to assume the best and be prepared to fight the worst.  There is nothing to fear now.  There is much work to do to   increase respect for the rights of D.C. residents as full and equal American citizens.  Getting Bills Enacted into Law Despite Historically Unproductive Congress #1 for most bills enacted by House Democrats Tied for #2 in most bills enacted by Democratic House and Senate Members Tied for #3 in bills enacted by House Republicans and Democrats Tied for #4 in most bills enacted in House and Senate Members of the Congress rarely, if ever, have their own bills enacted into law.  However, Norton was a leader in authored legislation for the 113th Congress and had three of her 67 bills enacted into law.  In the 112th Congress, Norton was also a leader, with 54 bills introduced and two enacted.  Besides traditional bills affecting the nation, Norton particularly looked for opportunities to strengthen the District.  Her legislation proved vital to the District.  Her two Chief Financial Officer (CFO) bills were indispensable to preventing serious disruptions in District operations – allowing the District to appoint an interim CFO if the CFO resigns, as Natwar Gandhi did, dies, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties of the office, and allowing the District to increase the CFO’s salary, necessary because of the difficulty the District had recruiting candidates with a salary many years out of date.  Norton also got her bill enacted to reauthorize the U.S. Parole Commission (USPC) introduced by members of the House Judiciary Committee, the committee of jurisdiction, and negotiated its five-year reauthorization, the longest reauthorization period yet. The bill is a matter of great importance to the District because the USPC has jurisdiction over D.C. Code felons.  Norton legislation enacted named the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, in Ward 8, for the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient, as it opened in 2013, to house 3,700 Coast Guard civilian and military employees.  Norton Cosponsored 795 bills in the 113th Congress, the Second Most of Any Member of the House Norton also introduced promising national legislation.  Among them were bills to collect data on sexual assaults on airplanes to assist law enforcement, which she expects to move next year; to strip the National Football League of its tax-exempt status as long as it promotes the Washington football team name (also introduced in the Senate); to require employers seeking federal contracts to demonstrate compliance with workplace protection laws (ROSIE Act); and to ensure due process for federal employees.    Making History: Unprecedented Momentum for D.C. Statehood The Congresswoman’s first bill in the 114th Congress will be the New Columbia Admission Act, to make D.C. the 51st State.  Norton set important statehood records in the 113th Congress, setting the stage for the growth of a newly invigorated statehood movement.  She got the first-ever Senate hearing on statehood and the first congressional hearing on statehood in more than 20 years, putting D.C. statehood squarely on the congressional agenda.  She also set the record for House and Senate cosponsors of the bill, with 112 in the House and 21 in the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who rarely cosponsors bills, as well as the three other top Senate Democratic leaders.  Norton also got President Obama to endorse D.C. statehood before the statehood hearing, and later Attorney General Eric Holder, as well.  Norton also got D.C.’s first-ever statue, depicting Frederick Douglass, moved into the Capitol, giving D.C. the same recognition as the states.  At the statue unveiling, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he would cosponsor Norton’s D.C. statehood bill, even though Majority Leaders rarely cosponsor bills.  A few weeks after the hearing, Norton gave keynote remarks at a D.C. Statehood Strategy Summit, the first statehood gathering since the hearing. She will focus in the next Congress on using the statehood bill and hearing to help grow a stronger statehood presence in D.C. and help develop a nationwide strategy to take her statehood bill to the next  in Congress. What did the press say about D.C. statehood? WaPo Editorial Board, 9/12/14: “In truth, law makers need look no further than the title of the hearing – “Equality for the District of Columbia” – to understand…That 650,000 people who live in the nation’s capital are denied their full rights as U.S. citizens…a travesty that cannot be condoned and should not be continued.” WaPo Editorial Board, 9/18/14: “We have not abandoned our support for change, nor our regard for how Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and other advocates have championed the cause unflaggingly.”    Norton Moves D.C. Closer to Free and Equal President and Senate Sign-On for Budget and Legislative Autonomy While the statehood hearing made statehood a live issue in Congress, Norton also got traction on key elements of statehood.  At Norton’s request, the President’s FY 15 budget and the Senate’s FY 15 D.C. Appropriations bill granted the District budget and legislative autonomy, the first-ever budget and appropriations bill to grant both.  Norton also got budget and legislative autonomy introduced in the Senate as stand-alone bills; the first-ever Senate legislative autonomy bill. This Congress, she found seemingly unlikely Republican allies for budget autonomy, including Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) Committee Chairman Darrel Issa (R-CA), who both first endorsed budget autonomy last Congress.  Norton predicts respect for home rule from the new chairs with D.C. jurisdiction, and they have said as much already. She has already spoken with the new House chair and written the Senate committee chair, who she expects to meet with early next year.  (See introduction) Exempting D.C. from Shutdowns For the first time, Norton got D.C. exempted from shutdowns for an entire fiscal year (2015).  Norton also got the FY15 Senate D.C. Appropriations bill to permanently exempt D.C. from shutdowns, but the final FY 2015 omnibus spending bill (Omnibus), signed by President Obama, exempts D.C. from shutdowns in FY16.  Having gotten an agreement on shutdowns in both chambers, she will seek permanent shutdown legislation in 2015. Budget Autonomy Referendum Saved Norton also kept D.C.’s budget autonomy referendum from being overturned in Congress.  She got House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to refrain from joining a House brief calling the referendum illegal in a lawsuit against the referendum. A federal district court struck down the referendum, but an appeal is pending, and Congress has taken no action.  What did the press say about D.C.’s autonomy? WaPo, Editorial Board, 4/16/14: “[T]he District should have the ability enjoyed by every other local jurisdiction to spend its locally raised tax dollars without approval or interference from Capitol Hill.” IV. Defeating Anti-Home-Rule Riders The Future of Marijuana Reform House Republicans attached new D.C. riders -- marijuana and guns -- to their D.C. Appropriations bill, and President Obama’s Statement of Administration Policy on the bill said the administration “strongly opposes” the marijuana rider as a violation of the “principle of States’ rights and of District home rule.” (The gun rider was added to the bill after the President’s statement, and Norton kept the rider out of the Omnibus.) She was able to get bipartisan Members of the House to hold a press conference with her in support of D.C.’s right to decriminalize or legalize marijuana, through Initiative 71 (Initiative), supported by 70 percent of the voters.  Although a version marijuana rider was included in the Omnibus, which the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee said blocked legalization, Norton found a flaw in the rider’s language.  The House’s original version had been changed from D.C. may not “enact or carry out any law rule or regulation” to legalize marijuana to D.C. cannot “enact any law, rule, or regulation.” in the Omnibus.  However, the Initiative has already been enacted and requires no additional enactments to implement it.  Norton’s interpretation that the Omnibus does not prohibit D.C. from implementing the Initiative was later supported by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), and D.C. Subcommittee Ranking Member Jose Serrano (D-NY). Norton predicts that non-partisan authorities will confirm her interpretation.  If Norton’s interpretation is correct Republicans will be forced to try to block the Initiative on their watch and encounter states that have implemented some form of marijuana reform – 23 states have legalized medical marijuana, 18 states have decriminalized marijuana and four states have marijuana legalizations laws. Defending D.C.’s Gun Safety Laws Norton was successful in keeping the House-passed D.C. gun rider – the most dangerous of the two new House riders – out of the Omnibus.  Representative Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) gun rider would have made blocked D.C. from enforcing local gun laws, including its ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines.  For the third-straight year, Norton also got Representative Phil Gingrey’s (R-GA) House-passed anti-home-rule gun resolution removed from the final National Defense Authorization Act.  The Gingrey amendment, passed as an amendment to the House version of the bill, expressed the sense of Congress that active duty military personnel in their private capacity should be exempt from the gun safety laws of the District of Columbia, but not elsewhere.  Although a resolution does not have the force of law, Norton wanted to defeat all anti-home-rule gun bills while Democrats were in power to assist her. Norton is preparing for anti-home-rule gun bills that could come in the 114th Congress. What did the press say about D.C.’s marijuana laws? New York Times, Editorial Board, 10/6/14: “Decades of arresting people for buying, selling, and using marijuana have hurt more than helped society, and minority communities have been disproportionately affected by the harsh criminal penalties of prohibition.” What did the press say about House passage of anti-home-rule marijuana and gun laws? Kentucky’s Courier-Journal, Editorial Board, 7/24/14: “…Ms. Norton could only complain about the gun measure but not vote against it. That sounds like taxation without representation, something anyone who purports to love liberty ought to oppose.” WaPo, Editorial Board, 7/20/14: “House Republicans who profess an allegiance to local democracy outdid themselves in the hypocrisy department last week as they trampled on the District’s right to home rule. Not content with measures that restrict the District from using its locally raised tax dollars for abortions for low-income women, the Republican-controlled House also voted to roll back the city’s decriminalization of marijuana and gut city gun laws.”  V. Building a Bustling D.C. Economy: Norton’s Bills Generate Economic Growth Norton was elected ranking member of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, the most important Transportation and Infrastructure Committee subcommittee.  It has the largest authorized funds among the subcommittees.  This position puts her in good standing to increase D.C.’s economic development and project funding. Against the Odds, DHS Constructions Keeps Growing Despite budget cuts that have slowed construction, Norton has kept getting funds to build the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters complex in Ward 8.  For FY 2014, Norton got an additional $144 million for operations and for rehabilitation of the main Center Building, to house the office of the Secretary and his 700 top employees.  Construction contractors were recently selected.  Norton also got $188 million included in the omnibus for FY 15.    Norton predicts that DHS will be completed by 2026. Coast Guard Headquarters The U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, which was named by Norton’s bill, marked the first federal building east of the Anacostia River.  It opened in 2013. Southwest Waterfront Construction Begins The Southwest Waterfront redevelopment, known as “The Wharf,” broke ground in 2014, after Norton got her bill through two House committees and worked with Republican leadership to get it enacted, in 2012.  In 2015, D.C. will see the first elements of the project – a new pier extending 450 feet into the Washington Channel.   The enormous two-phase Wharf project will create thousands of permanent jobs for D.C. residents, generate $47 million in tax revenue every year, and create new waterfront housing, shops, parks and docks, all revitalizing the city’s Southwest quadrant.  The developers have announced a public square, complete with picnic benches and green spaces, at the Wharf to be named “Eleanor Holmes Norton Plaza.”  A New Hotel Takes Shapes from the Old Post Office Building Norton broke ground on the Old Post Office Building redevelopment, a result of her 2008 law.  The redevelopment effort will turn the 114-year-old building into D.C.’s first luxury hotel, bringing 700 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs.  The project will yield $100 million in tax revenue over ten years for the city.  Norton is working with the General Services Administration and the developer on a 2015 plan for hiring D.C. residents. The Yards Becomes a New Neighborhood The Southeast Waterfront redevelopment, known as “The Yards,” continues at a rapid pace, due to a 2000 Norton law that authorized private redevelopment of federal land for the first time.  When fully developed, the site, which was an eye sore of dilapidated Navy Yard structures, will generate billions in revenue for the city.  Nineteen restaurants and 15 retail shops opened in 2013 and seven restaurants and seven retail shops opened in 2014, including a Harris Teeter grocery store.  Six more developments are planned for 2015. First Segment of Walter Reed Transferred to D.C. This year, Norton got the first federal property at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) transferred to the District.  Building 18 will be the home of a new fire and emergency station Ward 4 has long needed to reduce response times for the northernmost section of the District, enhancing public safety.  Once D.C. receives its entire portion of WRAMC, this historic property will transform upper Georgia Avenue with mixed-use development, including housing and the neighborhood’s first extensive commercial amenities.  Norton earlier got an increase in acres available for negotiation by the D.C. government and, this year, she ensured in the NDAA that 67 of the 110-acre site will be occupied by the District.  Earlier this year, the State Department tried to get 13 acres of D.C. land in exchange for land Children’s National Medical Center wanted because it contains a state-of-the-art laboratory.  Norton saved the full portion of D.C.’s land and ensured that an entity like Children’s will get the 13-acre state-of-the-art laboratory. World War I Memorial Norton laid to rest any possible future nationalization of D.C.’s War Memorial with compromise language she negotiated in the NDAA that formally re-designates Pershing Park, a federal park, as a national World War I Memorial, and preserves D.C.’s War Memorial for D.C. veterans only.  VI. Despite Sequestration and Partisan Gridlock, Norton Funds D.C.’s Priorities Considering that Democrats lost the Senate in the November elections, Norton fought especially hard to get as much funding as possible for D.C. in appropriations legislation.   Helps Ensure D.C.’s Transportation Funding As ranking member of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, which writes the largest House transportation funding bill, Norton’s leadership helped D.C. and the region get the full $150 million installment for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) in the Omnibus.  This is the sixth installment for WMATA’s 10-year, $1.5 billion authorization for capital improvements included in the 2008 Rail Safety Improvement Act, which Norton helped champion as a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Norton expects to increase D.C.’s funding for roads, bridges, WMATA, and buses in the surface transportation reauthorization bill due in 2015. DCTAG Remains Funded When appropriators told Norton that DCTAG was at risk after the D.C. Council passed a college scholarship program, she moved to shore up DCTAG.  She began by writing to President Obama and got a $10 million in increased funding in his FY 15 budget, bringing DCTAG to $40 million.  She then urged appropriators to fully fund DCTAG and got $30 million in the Omnibus, – no decrease from the year before.  However, Norton is already gearing up for another fight next year to ensure DCTAG is funded, given the new Republican majority in the Senate, where Democrats have been her best partners. Anacostia River Priority Norton’s work on Anacostia River cleanup is dependent, in part, on funding for D.C. Water’s Clean Rivers program to combat combined sewer overflow.  She was the lead sponsor of the Anacostia Watershed Initiative, her bill that was enacted with four regional co-sponsors in 2007, authorizing the Army Corps to develop a comprehensive plan for cleaning up the Anacostia River.  This year, she got $14 million for the Clean Rivers program in the Omnibus the same as in the prior year.  She will press the federal government, the largest D.C. Water rate-payer, to increase its funding next year, in light of the recent water main break in a major D.C. sewer pipe that caused flooding and Metro closures and delays.  All Norton’s High-Quality D.C. Judges Confirmed In a win for D.C.’s federal judicial system, all ten of Norton’s recommendations to President Obama for federal district court judges here have been confirmed by the Senate.  President Obama, like President Clinton, granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend candidates for federal district court judges and other important federal law enforcement officials in the District. VII. Serving Constituents and Keeping D.C. Informed of the Good and Bad from Congress Norton found new and expanded ways to reach neighborhoods across the city.  This year, she hosted 20 Government-to-Go events at grocery stores, D.C. government locations, such as libraries, and at non-profit organizations, such as senior centers, which brought caseworkers and information on federal matters to residents who cannot come to her District Office.  She held two town halls and six roundtables on national and local legislative issues.  She participated in eight Norton in Your Neighborhood community events, in conjunction with ANCs and community groups, to discuss congressional issues. Tours of House Floor, Top Norton Community Events Norton led the first six tours of the House floor for D.C. groups ranging from schools to community groups.  Norton will offer the tour to local D.C. media and will triple the number of D.C. groups to tour the House floor.  To schedule a special tour of the House floor, D.C.’s first statue in Congress, and other significant congressional sites for your group, contact Norton’s office at 202-225-8050 or visit www.Norton.House.Gov.  Events for D.C.’s Diverse Population Norton offered a rich variety of special events for D.C. residents drawn from important D.C. sectors, including a Tax Fair for tax preparation services; a Capitol Hill “Ask Me About D.C. Event” event for Members of the House and Senate and staff showcasing D.C.’s tourist sites; a Job Fair; a Small Business Fair; a Congressional  Art Competition for high school students; a Service Academy Night; a Seniors Legislative Day; a National Dance Day; and two Black Men and Boys Commission and Caucus Hearings. Norton’s Town Halls, Roundtables, and NIYNs Produce Results 4 Town Halls: •National Park Service Town Hall with NPS, National Mall officials, and Smithsonian officials      -NPS agreed to consider food trucks on the National Mall •Two CSX Virginia Avenue Tunnel Project Community Events      -Got increased opportunities for community oversight, questions, and transparency. •Capital Parks East Town Hall with NPS, Shepard Parkway Committee, and Washington Parks and People      -U.S. Park Police cracked down on crime. 6 Roundtables: •WMATA Roundtable with Top WMATA Officials and Transportation Union Leaders      -Roundtable showed most safety steps taken since 2009 crash; testimony helped Norton to get the $150 million WMATA authorization. •DCTAG Roundtable with Residents      -Got information that helped Norton get appropriators to give DCTAG $30 million in Omnibus. •Postal Roundtable with D.C. Postmaster General, Postal Union Officials, and Residents      -Agreed on recommendations to improve local service: quarterly Postmaster meetings with ANCs; an automated phone system for residents who want only routine information, freeing up customer service representatives to handle substantive issues; create the position of D.C. Postal Ombudsman to solve recurring customer service problems; and get State Department assistance in processing passports using postal office personnel. •Union Station Roundtable with NPS, Union Station Officials, and City Officials.      -Union Station officials began work that is reducing traffic congestion. •Immigration Roundtable/Hispanic Heritage Month with City and Federal Officials, Latino Community Leaders, and Educators      -Panel offered information for families of D.C. residents directly affected by the surge in unaccompanied children from Central America. •Unemployment Insurance Roundtable      -Real stories soon to go online in continuing effort to get Congress to pass legislation  extending long-term unemployment insurance. 8 Norton in Your Neighborhood (NIYN): • Parkside Civic Association • Bates Area Civic Association • Pleasant Plains Civic Association • Brookland Civic Association • Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence • Brightwood Park Civic Association • Renaissance Adult Day Health Care Center • ANC4B Community Meeting D.C. community and civic organizations, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and other groups can sponsor a Norton in Your Neighborhood.  Visit https://norton.house.gov or call Norton’s district office at (202) 408-9041.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-set-records-in-113th-congress-undaunted-by-new-republican,"Norton Set Records in 113th Congress, Undaunted by New Republican Congress, Makes Predictions for 2015",2014-12-26,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"Norton Set Records in 113th Congress, Undaunted by New Republican Congress, Makes Predictions for 2015 Norton Defies Unproductive Congress with Bills Enacted, Statehood Breakthroughs; Checkmated Anti-Home-Rule Riders; Perfect Score on Judges Confirmed; More Economic Development Projects; and D.C. Funding Despite Budget Cuts Introduction: Unafraid of the Coming Republican Congress Next year marks 25 years since Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) was elected to Congress.  She has spent only eight of those years in a House controlled by Democrats.  Yet during those years she has found ways to work closely not only with fellow Democrats, but with Republicans, such as former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR) Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), winning major legislation for the District with Republicans in charge and often in the White House, as well.  Among the most notable has been the D.C.  Tuition Assistance Grant program (DCTAG), the $5,000 homebuyer tax credit and business tax incentives, and major economic development projects that are transforming the entire Southeast and Southwest Waterfront neighborhoods, NoMa, Ward 8 communities with the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, and Upper Northwest with the former Walter Reed site. Thus, the Congresswoman is not fearful of the coming 114th Congress, where Republicans will control both chambers.  She has seen worse.  Norton does not underestimate the unprecedented far-right posture of today’s Republicans.  She is prepared for more attempts to undermine D.C. home rule, by bills and appropriations riders.  However, by refusing to prejudge how Members will respond to D.C. matters, she has found allies who have helped her pass D.C. bills and on other D.C. matters, even as Norton has opposed them on national issues.  The Congresswoman is particularly pleased that both incoming chairmen with D.C. jurisdiction – OGR Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) – have already publically supported home rule. Our history of fighting back has not been in vain.  Members of Congress have long been on notice that Norton and D.C. are prepared to fight to protect home rule not only on the House floor, in the Senate, and in the streets of Washington, but also in their districts and states.  Norton has used various forms of communication to inform the constituents of Members who spend their time not working for them, but meddling in D.C.’s local affairs. The way for D.C. to begin the 114th Congress is to assume the best and be prepared to fight the worst.  There is nothing to fear now.  There is much work to do to   increase respect for the rights of D.C. residents as full and equal American citizens.  Getting Bills Enacted into Law Despite Historically Unproductive Congress #1 for most bills enacted by House Democrats Tied for #2 in most bills enacted by Democratic House and Senate Members Tied for #3 in bills enacted by House Republicans and Democrats Tied for #4 in most bills enacted in House and Senate Members of the Congress rarely, if ever, have their own bills enacted into law.  However, Norton was a leader in authored legislation for the 113th Congress and had three of her 67 bills enacted into law.  In the 112th Congress, Norton was also a leader, with 54 bills introduced and two enacted.  Besides traditional bills affecting the nation, Norton particularly looked for opportunities to strengthen the District.  Her legislation proved vital to the District.  Her two Chief Financial Officer (CFO) bills were indispensable to preventing serious disruptions in District operations – allowing the District to appoint an interim CFO if the CFO resigns, as Natwar Gandhi did, dies, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties of the office, and allowing the District to increase the CFO’s salary, necessary because of the difficulty the District had recruiting candidates with a salary many years out of date.  Norton also got her bill enacted to reauthorize the U.S. Parole Commission (USPC) introduced by members of the House Judiciary Committee, the committee of jurisdiction, and negotiated its five-year reauthorization, the longest reauthorization period yet. The bill is a matter of great importance to the District because the USPC has jurisdiction over D.C. Code felons.  Norton legislation enacted named the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, in Ward 8, for the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient, as it opened in 2013, to house 3,700 Coast Guard civilian and military employees.  Norton Cosponsored 795 bills in the 113th Congress, the Second Most of Any Member of the House Norton also introduced promising national legislation.  Among them were bills to collect data on sexual assaults on airplanes to assist law enforcement, which she expects to move next year; to strip the National Football League of its tax-exempt status as long as it promotes the Washington football team name (also introduced in the Senate); to require employers seeking federal contracts to demonstrate compliance with workplace protection laws (ROSIE Act); and to ensure due process for federal employees.   Making History: Unprecedented Momentum for D.C. Statehood   The Congresswoman’s first bill in the 114th Congress will be the New Columbia Admission Act, to make D.C. the 51st State.  Norton set important statehood records in the 113th Congress, setting the stage for the growth of a newly invigorated statehood movement.  She got the first-ever Senate hearing on statehood and the first congressional hearing on statehood in more than 20 years, putting D.C. statehood squarely on the congressional agenda.  She also set the record for House and Senate cosponsors of the bill, with 112 in the House and 21 in the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who rarely cosponsors bills, as well as the three other top Senate Democratic leaders.  Norton also got President Obama to endorse D.C. statehood before the statehood hearing, and later Attorney General Eric Holder, as well.  Norton also got D.C.’s first-ever statue, depicting Frederick Douglass, moved into the Capitol, giving D.C. the same recognition as the states.  At the statue unveiling, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he would cosponsor Norton’s D.C. statehood bill, even though Majority Leaders rarely cosponsor bills.  A few weeks after the hearing, Norton gave keynote remarks at a D.C. Statehood Strategy Summit, the first statehood gathering since the hearing. She will focus in the next Congress on using the statehood bill and hearing to help grow a stronger statehood presence in D.C. and help develop a nationwide strategy to take her statehood bill to the next  level in Congress.   What did the press say about D.C. statehood? WaPo Editorial Board, 9/12/14: “In truth, law makers need look no further than the title of the hearing – “Equality for the District of Columbia” – to understand…That 650,000 people who live in the nation’s capital are denied their full rights as U.S. citizens…a travesty that cannot be condoned and should not be continued.” WaPo Editorial Board, 9/18/14: “We have not abandoned our support for change, nor our regard for how Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and other advocates have championed the cause unflaggingly.”    Norton Moves D.C. Closer to Free and Equal   President and Senate Sign-On for Budget and Legislative Autonomy While the statehood hearing made statehood a live issue in Congress, Norton also got traction on key elements of statehood.  At Norton’s request, the President’s FY 15 budget and the Senate’s FY 15 D.C. Appropriations bill granted the District budget and legislative autonomy, the first-ever budget and appropriations bill to grant both.  Norton also got budget and legislative autonomy introduced in the Senate as stand-alone bills; the first-ever Senate legislative autonomy bill. This Congress, she found seemingly unlikely Republican allies for budget autonomy, including Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) Committee Chairman Darrel Issa (R-CA), who both first endorsed budget autonomy last Congress.  Norton predicts respect for home rule from the new chairs with D.C. jurisdiction, and they have said as much already. She has already spoken with the new House chair and written the Senate committee chair, who she expects to meet with early next year.  (See introduction) Exempting D.C. from Shutdowns For the first time, Norton got D.C. exempted from shutdowns for an entire fiscal year (2015).  Norton also got the FY15 Senate D.C. Appropriations bill to permanently exempt D.C. from shutdowns, but the final FY 2015 omnibus spending bill (Omnibus), signed by President Obama, exempts D.C. from shutdowns in FY16.  Having gotten an agreement on shutdowns in both chambers, she will seek permanent shutdown legislation in 2015. Budget Autonomy Referendum Saved Norton also kept D.C.’s budget autonomy referendum from being overturned in Congress.  She got House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to refrain from joining a House brief calling the referendum illegal in a lawsuit against the referendum. A federal district court struck down the referendum, but an appeal is pending, and Congress has taken no action.  What did the press say about D.C.’s autonomy? WaPo, Editorial Board, 4/16/14: “[T]he District should have the ability enjoyed by every other local jurisdiction to spend its locally raised tax dollars without approval or interference from Capitol Hill.” IV. Defeating Anti-Home-Rule Riders The Future of Marijuana Reform House Republicans attached new D.C. riders -- marijuana and guns -- to their D.C. Appropriations bill, and President Obama’s Statement of Administration Policy on the bill said the administration “strongly opposes” the marijuana rider as a violation of the “principle of States’ rights and of District home rule.” (The gun rider was added to the bill after the President’s statement, and Norton kept the rider out of the Omnibus.) She was able to get bipartisan Members of the House to hold a press conference with her in support of D.C.’s right to decriminalize or legalize marijuana, through Initiative 71 (Initiative), supported by 70 percent of the voters.  Although a version marijuana rider was included in the Omnibus, which the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee said blocked legalization, Norton found a flaw in the rider’s language.  The House’s original version had been changed from D.C. may not “enact or carry out any law rule or regulation” to legalize marijuana to D.C. cannot “enact any law, rule, or regulation.” in the Omnibus.  However, the Initiative has already been enacted and requires no additional enactments to implement it.  Norton’s interpretation that the Omnibus does not prohibit D.C. from implementing the Initiative was later supported by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), and D.C. Subcommittee Ranking Member Jose Serrano (D-NY). Norton predicts that non-partisan authorities will confirm her interpretation.  If Norton’s interpretation is correct Republicans will be forced to try to block the Initiative on their watch and encounter states that have implemented some form of marijuana reform – 23 states have legalized medical marijuana, 18 states have decriminalized marijuana and four states have marijuana legalizations laws. Defending D.C.’s Gun Safety Laws Norton was successful in keeping the House-passed D.C. gun rider – the most dangerous of the two new House riders – out of the Omnibus.  Representative Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) gun rider would have made blocked D.C. from enforcing local gun laws, including its ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines.  For the third-straight year, Norton also got Representative Phil Gingrey’s (R-GA) House-passed anti-home-rule gun resolution removed from the final National Defense Authorization Act.  The Gingrey amendment, passed as an amendment to the House version of the bill, expressed the sense of Congress that active duty military personnel in their private capacity should be exempt from the gun safety laws of the District of Columbia, but not elsewhere.  Although a resolution does not have the force of law, Norton wanted to defeat all anti-home-rule gun bills while Democrats were in power to assist her. Norton is preparing for anti-home-rule gun bills that could come in the 114th Congress. What did the press say about D.C.’s marijuana laws? New York Times, Editorial Board, 10/6/14: “Decades of arresting people for buying, selling, and using marijuana have hurt more than helped society, and minority communities have been disproportionately affected by the harsh criminal penalties of prohibition.” What did the press say about House passage of anti-home-rule marijuana and gun laws? Kentucky’s Courier-Journal, Editorial Board, 7/24/14: “…Ms. Norton could only complain about the gun measure but not vote against it. That sounds like taxation without representation, something anyone who purports to love liberty ought to oppose.” WaPo, Editorial Board, 7/20/14: “House Republicans who profess an allegiance to local democracy outdid themselves in the hypocrisy department last week as they trampled on the District’s right to home rule. Not content with measures that restrict the District from using its locally raised tax dollars for abortions for low-income women, the Republican-controlled House also voted to roll back the city’s decriminalization of marijuana and gut city gun laws.”    V. Building a Bustling D.C. Economy: Norton’s Bills Generate Economic Growth Norton was elected ranking member of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, the most important Transportation and Infrastructure Committee subcommittee.  It has the largest authorized funds among the subcommittees.  This position puts her in good standing to increase D.C.’s economic development and project funding. Against the Odds, DHS Constructions Keeps Growing Despite budget cuts that have slowed construction, Norton has kept getting funds to build the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters complex in Ward 8.  For FY 2014, Norton got an additional $144 million for operations and for rehabilitation of the main Center Building, to house the office of the Secretary and his 700 top employees.  Construction contractors were recently selected.  Norton also got $188 million included in the omnibus for FY 15.    Norton predicts that DHS will be completed by 2026. Coast Guard Headquarters The U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, which was named by Norton’s bill, marked the first federal building east of the Anacostia River.  It opened in 2013. Southwest Waterfront Construction Begins The Southwest Waterfront redevelopment, known as “The Wharf,” broke ground in 2014, after Norton got her bill through two House committees and worked with Republican leadership to get it enacted, in 2012.  In 2015, D.C. will see the first elements of the project – a new pier extending 450 feet into the Washington Channel.  The enormous two-phase Wharf project will create thousands of permanent jobs for D.C. residents, generate $47 million in tax revenue every year, and create new waterfront housing, shops, parks and docks, all revitalizing the city’s Southwest quadrant.  The developers have announced a public square, complete with picnic benches and green spaces, at the Wharf to be named “Eleanor Holmes Norton Plaza.”  A New Hotel Takes Shapes from the Old Post Office Building Norton broke ground on the Old Post Office Building redevelopment, a result of her 2008 law.  The redevelopment effort will turn the 114-year-old building into D.C.’s first luxury hotel, bringing 700 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs.  The project will yield $100 million in tax revenue over ten years for the city.  Norton is working with the General Services Administration and the developer on a 2015 plan for hiring D.C. residents. The Yards Becomes a New Neighborhood The Southeast Waterfront redevelopment, known as “The Yards,” continues at a rapid pace, due to a 2000 Norton law that authorized private redevelopment of federal land for the first time.  When fully developed, the site, which was an eye sore of dilapidated Navy Yard structures, will generate billions in revenue for the city.  Nineteen restaurants and 15 retail shops opened in 2013 and seven restaurants and seven retail shops opened in 2014, including a Harris Teeter grocery store.  Six more developments are planned for 2015. First Segment of Walter Reed Transferred to D.C. This year, Norton got the first federal property at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) transferred to the District.  Building 18 will be the home of a new fire and emergency station Ward 4 has long needed to reduce response times for the northernmost section of the District, enhancing public safety.  Once D.C. receives its entire portion of WRAMC, this historic property will transform upper Georgia Avenue with mixed-use development, including housing and the neighborhood’s first extensive commercial amenities.  Norton earlier got an increase in acres available for negotiation by the D.C. government and, this year, she ensured in the NDAA that 67 of the 110-acre site will be occupied by the District.  Earlier this year, the State Department tried to get 13 acres of D.C. land in exchange for land Children’s National Medical Center wanted because it contains a state-of-the-art laboratory.  Norton saved the full portion of D.C.’s land and ensured that an entity like Children’s will get the 13-acre state-of-the-art laboratory.  World War I Memorial Norton laid to rest any possible future nationalization of D.C.’s War Memorial with compromise language she negotiated in the NDAA that formally re-designates Pershing Park, a federal park, as a national World War I Memorial, and preserves D.C.’s War Memorial for D.C. veterans only.  VI. Despite Sequestration and Partisan Gridlock, Norton Funds D.C.’s Priorities Considering that Democrats lost the Senate in the November elections, Norton fought especially hard to get as much funding as possible for D.C. in appropriations legislation.   Helps Ensure D.C.’s Transportation Funding As ranking member of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, which writes the largest House transportation funding bill, Norton’s leadership helped D.C. and the region get the full $150 million installment for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) in the Omnibus.  This is the sixth installment for WMATA’s 10-year, $1.5 billion authorization for capital improvements included in the 2008 Rail Safety Improvement Act, which Norton helped champion as a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Norton expects to increase D.C.’s funding for roads, bridges, WMATA, and buses in the surface transportation reauthorization bill due in 2015. DCTAG Remains Funded When appropriators told Norton that DCTAG was at risk after the D.C. Council passed a college scholarship program, she moved to shore up DCTAG.  She began by writing to President Obama and got a $10 million in increased funding in his FY 15 budget, bringing DCTAG to $40 million.  She then urged appropriators to fully fund DCTAG and got $30 million in the Omnibus, – no decrease from the year before.  However, Norton is already gearing up for another fight next year to ensure DCTAG is funded, given the new Republican majority in the Senate, where Democrats have been her best partners. Anacostia River Priority Norton’s work on Anacostia River cleanup is dependent, in part, on funding for D.C. Water’s Clean Rivers program to combat combined sewer overflow.  She was the lead sponsor of the Anacostia Watershed Initiative, her bill that was enacted with four regional co-sponsors in 2007, authorizing the Army Corps to develop a comprehensive plan for cleaning up the Anacostia River.  This year, she got $14 million for the Clean Rivers program in the Omnibus the same as in the prior year.  She will press the federal government, the largest D.C. Water rate-payer, to increase its funding next year, in light of the recent water main break in a major D.C. sewer pipe that caused flooding and Metro closures and delays.  All Norton’s High-Quality D.C. Judges Confirmed In a win for D.C.’s federal judicial system, all ten of Norton’s recommendations to President Obama for federal district court judges here have been confirmed by the Senate.  President Obama, like President Clinton, granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend candidates for federal district court judges and other important federal law enforcement officials in the District. VII. Serving Constituents and Keeping D.C. Informed of the Good and Bad from Congress Norton found new and expanded ways to reach neighborhoods across the city.  This year, she hosted 20 Government-to-Go events at grocery stores, D.C. government locations, such as libraries, and at non-profit organizations, such as senior centers, which brought caseworkers and information on federal matters to residents who cannot come to her District Office.  She held two town halls and six roundtables on national and local legislative issues.  She participated in eight Norton in Your Neighborhood community events, in conjunction with ANCs and community groups, to discuss congressional issues. Tours of House Floor, Top Norton Community Events Norton led the first six tours of the House floor for D.C. groups ranging from schools to community groups.  Norton will offer the tour to local D.C. media and will triple the number of D.C. groups to tour the House floor.  To schedule a special tour of the House floor, D.C.’s first statue in Congress, and other significant congressional sites for your group, contact Norton’s office at 202-225-8050 or visit www.Norton.House.Gov.  Events for D.C.’s Diverse Population Norton offered a rich variety of special events for D.C. residents drawn from important D.C. sectors, including a Tax Fair for tax preparation services; a Capitol Hill “Ask Me About D.C. Event” event for Members of the House and Senate and staff showcasing D.C.’s tourist sites; a Job Fair; a Small Business Fair; a Congressional  Art Competition for high school students; a Service Academy Night; a Seniors Legislative Day; a National Dance Day; and two Black Men and Boys Commission and Caucus Hearings. Norton’s Town Halls, Roundtables, and NIYNs Produce Results 4 Town Halls: •National Park Service Town Hall with NPS, National Mall officials, and Smithsonian officials      -NPS agreed to consider food trucks on the National Mall •Two CSX Virginia Avenue Tunnel Project Community Events      -Got increased opportunities for community oversight, questions, and transparency. •Capital Parks East Town Hall with NPS, Shepard Parkway Committee, and Washington Parks and People      -U.S. Park Police cracked down on crime. 6 Roundtables: •WMATA Roundtable with Top WMATA Officials and Transportation Union Leaders      -Roundtable showed most safety steps taken since 2009 crash; testimony helped Norton to get the $150 million WMATA authorization. •DCTAG Roundtable with Residents      -Got information that helped Norton get appropriators to give DCTAG $30 million in Omnibus. •Postal Roundtable with D.C. Postmaster General, Postal Union Officials, and Residents      -Agreed on recommendations to improve local service: quarterly Postmaster meetings with ANCs; an automated phone system for residents who want only routine information, freeing up customer service representatives to handle substantive issues; create the position of D.C. Postal Ombudsman to solve recurring customer service problems; and get State Department assistance in processing passports using postal office personnel. •Union Station Roundtable with NPS, Union Station Officials, and City Officials.      -Union Station officials began work that is reducing traffic congestion. •Immigration Roundtable/Hispanic Heritage Month with City and Federal Officials, Latino Community Leaders, and Educators      -Panel offered information for families of D.C. residents directly affected by the surge in unaccompanied children from Central America.   •Unemployment Insurance Roundtable      -Real stories soon to go online in continuing effort to get Congress to pass legislation  extending long-term unemployment insurance. 8 Norton in Your Neighborhood (NIYN): • Parkside Civic Association • Bates Area Civic Association • Pleasant Plains Civic Association • Brookland Civic Association • Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence • Brightwood Park Civic Association • Renaissance Adult Day Health Care Center • ANC4B Community Meeting D.C. community and civic organizations, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and other groups can sponsor a Norton in Your Neighborhood.  Visit https://norton.house.gov or call Norton’s district office at (202) 408-9041.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/statement-by-congresswoman-eleanor-holmes-norton-in-tribute-to-the-two,Statement by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton in Tribute to the Two Police Officers Killed in New York and Calling for Reconciliation Between Our Police and Our Communities,2014-12-22,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the following statement by Norton on the killing Saturday of two New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu: “Along with the President, the nation, and especially New Yorkers, I want to express my sadness and sorrow upon learning of the killings of two NYPD officers.  I know I also speak for the residents of the District of Columbia when I offer my deepest sympathy to the families of Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.  The murder of these two brave officers puts in bold relief the debt we owe the police, who protect us and our communities against known and unknown danger here in Washington, D.C., as well as in New York and throughout the country.  It does a disservice to the long history of non-violent protest to link, in any way, the killing of these officers by a lone, unaffiliated gunman to the peaceful protests that have been occurring throughout the United States.  During this holiday season let us pause to remember officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, and in the spirit of the season, seek reconciliation between the police and our communities throughout the nation.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-ideas-make-way-into-white-house-security-panel-report,Norton Ideas Make Way Into White House Security Panel Report,2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) Committee, today said the review of the Secret Service, compiled by the U.S. Secret Service Protective Mission Panel to the Secretary of Homeland Security, contains key recommendations that she pushed for earlier this year.  The report called for raising the height of the White House perimeter fence, curved outward at the top and keeping with the historical aesthetic of the White House; changing the Secret Service’s “insider” culture by bringing in an outside leader to run the agency; increasing the number of agents; and ensuring at least ten percent of an agent’s time is devoted to training.  These recommendations echo several ideas that Norton cited after an October OGR hearing laid bare the problems in the agency.  However, Norton said she regretted that the report does not mention ensuring that security should take into account the need for public access to the White House front, as has been historically permitted. “Most of these recommendations from the panel were readily apparent from the errors that the Secret Service hearing revealed,” Norton said.  “The most revealing, however, was a deficiency that the Secret Service was reluctant to admit and the OGR committee mostly failed to acknowledge – that the Secret Service was very significantly deficient in the number of personnel necessary to do the job.  Under questioning, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson mentioned a deficiency in the number of agents.  But the Secret Service itself has a history of not revealing any problems, including lack of personnel to do the job.  This report lays out a recipe of corrections for an outside director to implement.” Norton said she particularly welcomed the recommendation for a director from outside the agency as a way to eliminate the culture where agents seemed to protect each other’s errors from discovery.  She cited the incident when bullets penetrated the outside of the White House residence, which the Secret Service first assumed was unrelated gang gunfire, but was later discovered by personnel within the White House as a direct shooting on the residence.  She also cited an instance when a man made his way into an elevator with the President, and the incident was investigated by an agent’s supervisor rather than reported to the agency’s investigative unit.  Those two incidences, Norton said, show an insider culture.  After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Norton worked with the White House and the National Park Service to maintain public access to the White House and surrounding area by widening E Street and keeping it accessible. However, following September 11, 2001, access on E Street was closed to the public. However, Norton worked with the White House to secure the opening of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to ensure public access.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-dr-carter-g-woodson-139th-birthday-celebration,"Norton to Speak at Dr. Carter G. Woodson 139th Birthday Celebration, Tonight",2014-12-19,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will offer opening remarks at the 139th birthday commemoration of the legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, tonight, December 19, around 6:30 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church (1500 9th Street NW).  The event is hosted by the National Park Service (NPS) and its partners, including the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), founded by Dr. Woodson, located on the site of the Woodson home. “The annual celebration of Dr. Woodson’s life is best used to renew our resolve to get his historic home site completed so it can accommodate ASALH and visitors,” Norton said.  “We should also measure our progress each year until we get it done.” After trying for years to get funding to rehabilitate the Carter G. Woodson National Historic Site, Norton wrote to the President to ask him to include $3.2 million in his fiscal year 2014 budget.  After the President included the money, Norton got House and Senate appropriators to include the funding.  Norton said this funding will help to finish the rehabilitation of the main home, where Woodson actually lived.  Norton also is seeking additional funds in light of the damage done by the 2011 earthquake, which will be used to rehabilitate the two adjacent structures needed to accommodate ASALH and to ensure space for visitors to learn of Woodson’s life and work.  She expects funding through the NPS’s first private-public partnership with a nonprofit familiar with the Shaw neighborhood.  Once the project is fully completed, there will be restrooms, an elevator, and interpretive program areas available to visitors to the historic site. Dr. Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926, which has evolved into Black History Month, and is commemorated at the White House and throughout the United States annually.  Dr. Woodson, only the second African American to receive a Harvard PhD, is one of the most distinguished American historians and the central figure credited with rescuing the history of African Americans at a time when racist propaganda asserted that Blacks were inferior and had no substantive history beyond slavery.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/larsen-defazio-and-norton-focus-on-pedestrian-and-bicyclist-safety,"Larsen, DeFazio and Norton Focus on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety",2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. —In response to the troubling increase in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in recent years, Reps. Rick Larsen (D-WA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), are asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate trends and causes of accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles and to make recommendations about improving safety. “The safety of everyone on the road should be our top priority. Thanks to coordinated efforts, motor vehicle accident deaths are declining. But the same is not true for the most vulnerable people on our roadways – pedestrians and bicyclists. The GAO can give us a better idea of the reasons behind why pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are going up. We want to know what more Congress can do to ensure the highest level of safety for all of those using our roads,” said Larsen, DeFazio and Norton. Text of the letter follows: The Honorable Gene L Dodaro Comptroller General U.S. Government Accountability Office 441 G Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20548   Dear Mr. Dodaro: While overall traffic-related fatalities have been declining in recent years, our most vulnerable road users—pedestrians and cyclists—have experienced an increase in fatalities.  In 2012, 4,743 pedestrians were killed, or an average of one fatality every two hours.  Also in 2012, 726 cyclists were killed on our roads. These pedestrian and cyclist fatality totals each represent a 6 percent increase from 2011. Furthermore, we are concerned that conventional engineering practices have encouraged engineers to design roads at 5-15 miles per hour faster than the posted speed for the street. This typically means roads are designed and built with wider, straighter lanes and have fewer objects near the edges, more turn lanes, and wider turning radii at intersections. While these practices improve driving safety, a suspected unintended consequence is that drivers travel faster when they feel safer. Greater speeds can increase the frequency and severity of crashes with pedestrians and cyclists who are moving at much slower speeds and have much less protection than a motorized vehicle affords.  Because of these increasing fatality numbers among the most vulnerable road users, we request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the trends and causes of these roadway fatalities and the challenges associated with improving pedestrian and cyclist safety. In particular, we are interested in information about the relationship between vehicle speed and roadway fatalities, and how roadway design speeds and other common practices may exacerbate this problem.  Accordingly, we would like for GAO to examine: The trends in pedestrian and cyclist accidents (including causes of such accidents), fatalities, and injuries in the last decade. Challenges that states face in improving pedestrian and cyclist safety (including roadway design speeds and FHWA guidelines for road design), and the initiatives states have undertaken to address this issue. We are particularly interested in the effects of the common road engineering standard that sets speed limits at the rate 85% of drivers would use under regular conditions. The extent that federal initiatives and funds been made available to assist states in improving pedestrian and cyclist safety, and additional federal actions that may be needed.   Thank you for your consideration.   Sincerely,   Rick Larsen Member of Congress   Peter DeFazio Member of Congress   Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-issues-statement-on-us-normalization-of-relations-with-cuba,Norton Issues Statement on U.S. Normalization of Relations with Cuba,2014-12-18,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released Norton’s statement on the Obama Administration’s efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. “President Obama’s opening of official relations with Cuba may not be Nixon going to China, but it is today’s version of what we needed to do to begin to bring U.S.-Cuba relations into the realities of the 21st century.” “In this case, the exchanges involved were significant, particularly with the release of Alan Gross, a U.S. international development worker who was held for five years for bringing telecommunications equipment to members of Cuba’s Jewish community.  Ironically, his release is leading to this very result for the Cuban people.  The agreement to permit communications devices and telecommunications service into Cuba could be the most important development for bringing more democracy to Cubans.  Isolating Cuba has only reinforced the Castro brothers’ monopoly on the ability of the Cuban people to compare themselves with people in other countries.  Once exposed to real freedom on the internet, it will be difficult for Castro’s old Cuba to remain intact. “Cuba may be allowing this opening now because its economy has all but collapsed and it no longer has reliable allies to prop it up.  The Administration’s action does not lift the embargo.  However, if Republicans listen to the positive reaction from the United States Chamber of Commerce and American businesses, they will follow suit and lift the embargo.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/all-ten-of-norton-s-judicial-recommendations-confirmed-by-senate,All Ten of Nortons Judicial Recommendations Confirmed by Senate,2014-12-17,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that, with the confirmation last night of the last pending District of Columbia federal district court judge she has recommended to President Obama, Amit Mehta, all ten of Norton’s district court judge recommendations to President Obama have been confirmed by the Senate.  Mehta, who will be the first Asian Pacific American judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is currently a partner in the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, where he has been recognized by several legal publications for his exemplary work, including Super Lawyers, The National Law Journal, and Benchmark Litigation.  “We strived mightily for a perfect ten for our judges, and I’ve been pushing during the lame-duck session,” Norton said.  “We are fortunate to have so much talent to choose from. Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is one of the most distinguished and diverse in the nation.” Mehta is a graduate of Georgetown University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and the University of Virginia School of Law, Order of the Coif.  He clerked for Judge Susan Graber, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  After clerking, Mehta worked at Zuckerman Spaeder as an associate for three years, and then worked for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) for five years.  At PDS, he represented indigent criminal defendants in trials, appeals and administrative proceedings.  Having gotten first-rate criminal trial experience at PDS, he later rejoined Zuckerman Spaeder, where he has represented companies and individuals in a broad range of federal criminal matters, including bribery, political corruption, mail and wire fraud, export control and sanctions violations, and environmental crimes.  He also has represented plaintiffs and defendants in federal civil matters, including antitrust and a Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement action.  In a pro bono capacity, Mehta has devoted more than 450 hours since 2010 to post-conviction proceedings for an individual convicted of murder.  He is also vice president of the board of directors of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project.  Mehta was born in India and moved with his family to the U.S. at the age of one. President Obama, like President Clinton, granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend candidates for federal district court judges and other important federal law enforcement officials in the District.  The Congresswoman recommended Mehta from a number of candidates screened by her Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, chaired by Pauline Schneider, a special counsel at Ballard Spahr LLP and a former president of the D.C. Bar.  President Obama has nominated and the Senate has confirmed all ten of Norton’s recommendations for district court judges – Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amy Berman Jackson, James E. Boasberg, Rudolph Contreras, Beryl A. Howell, Casey Cooper, Tanya Chutkan, Randolph Moss, and Robert Wilkins, who was the first of Norton’s recommendations to President Obama for a vacancy on the district court.  Wilkins is her first judicial recommendation to be promoted to the U.S. Court of Appeals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-sends-letter-to-boehner-sessions-asking-for-restoration-of,"Norton Sends Letter to Boehner, Sessions Asking for Restoration of Delegate Vote in Committee of the Whole House in 114th Congress",2014-12-16,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) requesting that the House rules for the 114th Congress permit the District of Columbia delegate to vote on the House floor in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.  Both the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit have held that the delegate vote is constitutional under Article I of the U.S. Constitution.  House Republicans took that vote away from the District when they regained the majority in the 112th Congress.  “The American citizens who live in the nation’s capital have always been proud to fully participate in all of the obligations of citizenship, including fighting and dying in every war, beginning with the Revolutionary War, paying full federal taxes, and serving on federal juries,” Norton wrote in her letter.  “I ask only that the House, where I am privileged to serve, grant D.C. residents the modicum of respect the vote in the Committee of the Whole would afford.” In September, Norton testified at a Senate committee hearing on her bill to make D.C. the 51st state, a bill which has a record number of House and Senate cosponsors.  The hearing was the first congressional hearing on D.C. statehood in more than 20 years.  Two days later, she testified at the House Rules Committee to try to retrieve the vote in the Committee of the Whole, a vote she won shortly after being elected to Congress.  Norton first won the vote for D.C. in the Committee of the Whole in the 103rd Congress, under Democratic leadership.  Norton, then in the majority, submitted a legal memorandum to her own leadership arguing that the District had a vote in standing committees under the rules of the House and therefore should have a vote on the House floor in the Committee of the Whole, which is also established by House rules.  Republicans challenged the rule in federal court, but it was found constitutional.  Since then, D.C. has been permitted to vote in the Committee of the Whole when Democrats have controlled the House, but the vote has been taken away when Republicans are in power.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-protects-walter-reed-and-dc-war-memorial-from-federal,"Norton Protects Walter Reed and D.C. War Memorial from Federal Interference in Defense Bill, Bill Heads to President",2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that the final fiscal year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), now heading to President Obama’s desk for his signature, protects the District of Columbia from further federal interference at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and the D.C. War Memorial, as she requested.  Following long negotiations with the House and Senate Armed Services committees, Norton got compromise language in the NDAA for the old Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Building and its attachments (Pathology Building) to go to a public health entity, like Children’s National Medical Center (Children’s), if negotiations between the Army and the State Department fail.  Norton also was instrumental in ensuring that at least 67 acres of the 110 acre WRAMC site will be occupied by the District of Columbia.  She supported language in the original House-passed NDAA to authorize the transfer of the Pathology Building to Children’s National, which desires to use the state-of-the-art lab space for research on children’s health.  However, the State Department wanted to demolish this space at a cost of up to $20 million for use sometime in the future when it can get funding.  Norton objected, particularly considering that the State Department reportedly was seeking the Pathology Building and the rest of the land for free in violation of federal laws, and wanted 13 acres of D.C. land if Children’s got the Pathology Building portion.  In the end, Norton was able to keep D.C. whole with the full 67 acres. The final NDAA also re-designates Pershing Park as a national World War I Memorial, laying to rest any possible nationalization of D.C.’s War Memorial.  Norton is an original cosponsor of the Pershing Park re-designation bill, which was introduced by Congressmen Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Ted Poe (R-TX) in a compromise to re-designate Pershing Park, a federal park in the District, as a national “World War I Memorial” and to preserve the D.C. War Memorial for D.C. veterans only.  Norton fought attempts to nationalize the D.C. War Memorial as the national World War I memorial, while also working to create a national World War I memorial in the District.   Norton and her colleagues previously agreed that the D.C. War Memorial would remain dedicated exclusively to D.C. veterans, and that they would continue to work together to pursue a number of other options for a national World War I memorial in the District, and to re-designate the Liberty Memorial of Kansas City, Missouri as the “National World War I Museum and Memorial.”  The NDAA accomplishes these goals. “These two provisions in the NDAA strengthen the integrity of the city’s land and memorials and remove future congressional interference,” Norton said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-welcome-dc-children-on-capitol-hill-for-25th-annual-holiday,"Norton to Welcome D.C. Children on Capitol Hill for 25th Annual Holiday Party, Wednesday",2014-12-15,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United Planning Organization Inspire Foundation, in conjunction with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), will host the 25th Annual Capitol Hill Holiday Party for underprivileged children in the District of Columbia at the Capitol on Wednesday, December 17, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in 345 Cannon House Office Building.  This year’s party, which will provide the children gifts, as well as a visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, has been held during Christmas time ever since Norton has served in Congress. “Welcoming these children to Capitol Hill during the holiday season is always a highlight of my year,” Norton said. “The generosity, kindness, and joyful holiday cheer in our community will surely shine through, as it does every year.” Norton said that she is particularly grateful to the many businesses, organizations, and individuals that generously made donations or volunteered their time to help make this annual party a success.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/national-women-s-history-museum-bill-heads-to-president-s-desk-after-16,National Womens History Museum bill heads to Presidents desk after 16 year legislative effort,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – After 16 years of work, a bill to form a commission on the creation of a National Women’s History Museum (H.R. 863/S. 398) will soon become law. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) hailed the achievement as a major victory for women. “When I first introduced legislation to form a National Women’s History Museum, I never dreamed it would take 16 years to get this commission passed,” said Rep. Maloney. “It seemed like an easy lift – it’s hard to see who can be opposed to a museum dedicated to chronicling the achievements of women. Women gained the right to vote in 1920. I hope that a century later, in 2020, the efforts and accomplishments of women throughout our history will be chronicled in a museum that both our daughters and sons can learn from and enjoy.” “The legacies of women who paved the way before us and helped shape our nation deserve to be preserved and shared with our citizens,” said Rep. Blackburn. “I am honored to have worked with Rep. Maloney and Senators Collins and Mikulski to push this legislation across the finish line so that these stories can inspire future generations by illustrating how the bravery, patriotism, and perseverance of our nation’s women can truly make a difference. We look forward to this bill being signed into law by the President.” “American women have made invaluable contributions to our country in such diverse fields as government, business, medicine, law, literature, sports, entertainment, the arts, and the military. The need for a museum recognizing the contributions of American women is long overdue, and the Commission approved today is an important first step towards that goal,” said Senator Collins.  “A National Women’s History Museum would help ensure that future generations understand what we owe to the many generations of American women who have helped build, sustain, and advance our society.  This can and should be done at no expense to American taxpayers.”   “Women’s history is American history,” said Senator Mikulski. “Women have been trailblazers throughout our history, using grit, passion, and determination to seize the day and to make a difference. We must not only honor the past – we must learn from it. A National Women’s History Museum will be a fitting tribute to recognize their lasting legacy while inspiring future generations of women and girls.” “Surely, American women deserve a museum to showcase their significant contributions that have been indispensable to our country,” said Rep. Norton.  “That is why I have been working to establish this museum in my district, the nation’s capital, with Rep. Maloney and other women in the House and Senate for many years.  The museum seeks only to help ensure that the contributions women have made to our nation are understood as part of our history and collective conscience.  We look forward to the report, and to moving forward with a museum that encourages and empowers even more women to make contributions and to take on leadership roles.” The law will establish a privately-funded commission to prepare a report containing recommendations for establishing and maintaining a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, D.C. The 8-member commission would have 18 months to produce the report and submit it to Congress for approval. Members of the commission will be appointed by Speaker of the House John Boehner, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. This bipartisan legislation passed by a vote of 383 to 33 in the House on May 7, 2014. The Senate legislation introduced by Collins and Mikulski was cosponsored by 39 Senators, including all 20 women Senators. The legislation was added to a package of Natural Resources bills, which was later attached as a separate title of the National Defense Authorization Act, which cleared the House on December 4 and the Senate today. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the commission and the museum would have no significant impact on federal spending. The bill authorizes the commission to accept and spend monetary gifts and a 501(c)3 organization, National Women’s History Museum, is already raising the funds necessary to fund the commission.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-releases-faq-page-on-dc-marijuana-provision-in-omnibus,Norton Releases FAQ Page on D.C. Marijuana Provision in Omnibus,2014-12-12,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Since discussing an alternative interpretation of the anti-home-rule marijuana rider in the fical year 2015 omnibus spending bill, the Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has received inquiries on the legal basis for implementing the District of Columbia’s voter-passed marijuana legalization intiative.  The Office is releasing a new web page, www.norton.house.gov/Initiative71, with frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers for District residents and the general public on the legal basis for the implementation of the initiative. The web page, now live, follows: Frequently Asked Questions on Implementing D.C.’s Marijuana Legalization Initiative   Question: Does the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Omnibus), which prohibits the District of Columbia from using local funds “to enact any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties” for marijuana, block D.C.’s marijuana legalization initiative (Initiative 71), which allows the possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana? Answer: Most likely no.  D.C. can implement Initiative 71 after the expiration of the congressional review period unless a resolution of disapproval overturning it is enacted during that period or other legislation is enacted before, during or after that period that blocks or overturns it. Question: Does the Omnibus prevent D.C. from implementing Initiative 71? Answer: Most likely no.  The plain meaning of the provision and principles of statutory interpretation support implementation of the initiative.  The original version of the provision said D.C. may not “enact or carry out any law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties” for marijuana.  “Carry out” was dropped from the Omnibus. Question: Does Congress need to take additional action for Initiative 71 to take effect? Answer:  No.  Under the D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973, an initiative “shall take effect” upon the expiration of the congressional review period unless a resolution of disapproval is enacted during that period, in which case the initiative “shall be deemed to have [been] repealed”.  A measure can be repealed only if it had been enacted in the first place.   Question:  Does D.C. need to enact additional laws or regulations to implement Initiative 71?  Answer: Most likely no.  The initiative is self-executing by its terms.  It requires no additional enactment of laws or regulations to be implemented. Question: Has Initiative 71 already been enacted? Answer: Most likely yes.  Initiative 71 was enacted when it was approved by voters in November 2014. Question: Do Members of Congress and Leadership support the position that D.C. has a strong legal case for implementing Initiative 71? Answer: Yes.  Many of the Omnibus’ negotiators believe D.C. can implement the initiative, including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey and House Appropriations D.C. Subcommittee Ranking Member Jose Serrano.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/blog-posts/defending-the-districts-voter-passed-marijuana-legalization-law,Defending the District's Voter-Passed Marijuana Legalization Law,2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"District of Columbia voters passed the most restrictive marijuana reform law in the country, allowing possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use only. Four states have passed marijuana legalization laws. The city was motivated by two independent studies revealing shameful racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests.  Ninety percent of arrests are of African Americans, although Blacks and White use marijuana at the same rate in a city that is 50/50 Black and White. Do not expect residents to tolerate unequal treatment of the District of Columbia, a jurisdiction of federal taxpaying Americans, and on top of that, discrimination against African Americans who live here. I am trying to find a way around the anti-democratic language in the fiscal year 2015 omnibus spending bill that bullies the District of Columbia. Congress must find its way out of the local affairs of residents of the District of Columbia, who pay the highest federal taxes per capita, but whose Member must stand by and watch every Member of this House, except the Member who represents the District of Columbia, vote on matters affecting her district.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-about-home-rule-and-civil-rights-at-ceremony-for,"Norton to Speak about Home Rule and Civil Rights at Ceremony for Steering Committee of the D.C. Bars District Affairs Section, Tonight",2014-12-11,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will speak about the 40th anniversary of the Home Rule Act and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and be honored at a ceremony by the Steering Committee of the District of Columbia Bar’s D.C. Affairs Section tonight, Thursday, December 11, at 6:45 p.m. at the law firm Venable LLC (575 7th Street NW). The ceremony, entitled “From Civil Rights to Home Rule: Looking Back to Look Forward,” celebrates D.C. home rule and the Civil Rights Act, two causes Norton has championed for nearly her entire life.  Norton, an honored guest of the ceremony and third-generation Washingtonian, was invited to offer remarks on both milestones because of her efforts to preserve home rule and protect it from federal interference, and her deep involvement in the civil rights movement. “I’m honored that the Steering Committee invited me to speak on two issues that continue to have an impact on the work I do,” said Norton.  “More importantly, I look forward to celebrating the efforts of those who persevered during the civil rights movement and fought for home rule, especially as they continue to work until D.C. is granted the full rights of self-governance.” Norton got the only House vote on statehood, in 1993, not long after being elected to Congress.  Almost two-thirds of the Democrats and one Republican voted for the bill, giving it a strong start, but the Democrats lost the House majority in the next Congress.  Since that vote, Norton was able to get the D.C. House Voting Rights Act through the House in 2007 and the Senate in 2009, which would have given D.C. a voting House member, had it not been derailed by a National Rifle Association-backed amendment that would have wiped out D.C.’s gun safety laws. Although D.C.’s right to vote on the House floor in the Committee of the Whole, which Norton first won in the 103rd Congress, was approved by the federal courts, Norton continues to, without a vote, pass D.C. bills, successfully fight attacks on home rule, get D.C. rights traditionally afforded to states, expand home rule, get significant new support for D.C. statehood, and build unprecedented momentum for budget autonomy. Norton was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the thick of the civil rights movement, and as a student, worked with SNCC to help organize the 1964 Freedom Summer and was on the staff of the 1963 March on Washington.  As a young lawyer, she helped write the brief for the Mississippi Democratic Freedom Party that challenged the segregated Mississippi delegation to the 1964 Democratic Convention, and she ran the lobbying challenge to the traditional Mississippi Democratic delegation.  Before her congressional service, Norton participated in many aspects of the civil rights movement.  She was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve as the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/at-historic-walter-reed-deed-signing-norton-to-speak-about-how-she-got,"At Historic Walter Reed Deed Signing, Norton to Speak About How She Got the Walter Reed Site for D.C.",2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at the Deed Signing Ceremony to celebrate the transfer of the first federal property, Building 18 at the campus of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), from the U.S. Army to the District of Columbia, today, December 10, at 10:00 a.m. at the John A. Wilson Building, Room 509 (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW).  Building 18, once demolished, will accommodate the relocation of D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services’ Engine Company 22.  Norton was instrumental in ensuring that at least 67 acres of the 110 acre WRAMC site would go to the District of Columbia.  A result of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, initially D.C. got a smaller portion, but Norton got the General Service Administration (GSA), in 2010, to declare a larger portion as surplus property that could be used by the District.  She then questioned GSA and argued that the property should not be used to house federal agencies due to its distance from a Metro stop, considering distance to a Metro is a key regulation regarding the housing of federal agencies.  GSA then transferred more land to D.C., giving the city the 67 acres they have today.  Some of that acreage recently became endangered when the Department of State (DOS) sought, for free, 13 acres meant for Children’s National Medical Center, while D.C. was negotiating to pay for the land.  Norton protected those 13 acres for Children’s, which included a building with a state-of-the-art lab space for research on children’s health.  Norton said that if DOS had succeeded, that space would have been demolished. “Today’s land transfer will enable D.C. to get the new fire and emergency station Ward 4 has long needed to reduce response times for the northernmost section of the District, enhancing public safety.” Norton said.  “Building 18 is only the beginning of a historic land transfer that will transform upper Georgia Avenue with mixed-use development and the commercial amenities upper Ward 4 has needed.” In 2006, Norton got the General Services Administration (GSA) to agree to consider plans to develop the WRAMC campus that would allow commercial development on Georgia Avenue, NW.  Under the agreement, GSA would work with D.C. officials in deciding the type of development, including retail that the uptown Georgia Avenue community has long desired.  Norton tried to get the federal Walter Reed site for exclusive development by the city, but the federal government is so short of necessary space that the 16th Street portion of the Walter Reed site was quickly claimed by the State Department for consolidation and similar uses. Norton has continued her involvement with the land at WRAMC.  She got language in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (NDAA) last week, authorizing the transfer of the Pathology Building to Children’s National, which desires to use their state-of-the-art lab space for research on children’s health.  DOS wanted to demolish the building at a cost of up to $20 million for use sometime in the future when it can get funding.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-disagrees-with-house-republican-claim-that-omnibus-blocks-dc,"Norton Disagrees With House Republican Claim that Omnibus Blocks D.C. Marijuana Legalization, Will Offer Amendment at Rules Committee, Today",2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that, contrary to press reports, it is far from certain that the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill blocks the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana, but she called on Democrats, who control the White House and Senate and whose votes will likely be necessary for House passage, to erase any doubt by eliminating all restrictions and uncertainty on D.C.’s marijuana laws. “The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee says it believes the omnibus blocks D.C. from legalizing marijuana,” Norton said.  “However, based on a plain reading of the bill and principles of statutory interpretation, the District may be able to carry out its marijuana legalization initiative.  The House-passed D.C. marijuana rider, introduced by Representative Andy Harris, and the omnibus D.C. marijuana rider are not identical.  Unlike the Harris rider, the omnibus rider does not block D.C. from ‘carrying out’ enacted marijuana policies.  D.C.’s Initiative 71, it can be argued, was enacted when it was approved overwhelmingly by voters in November and was self-executing – i.e., it did not require enactment of any rules for its implementation.  Therefore, it can be argued that the legalization of small amounts of marijuana can proceed. “The District of Columbia government and its residents should never be put in the position of uncertainty of any kind about any of their local laws.  To avoid any confusion and to protect the city’s home rule, I will offer an amendment at the Rules Committee today to strike the rider.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-testimony-establishes-in-record-alternative-meaning-of-dc,Norton Testimony Establishes in Record Alternative Meaning of D.C. Marijuana Legalization Rider,2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Although the House Rules Committee rejected, as expected, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D-DC) amendments to strike the anti-home-rule D.C. marijuana and abortion riders from the fiscal year 2015 omnibus spending bill this evening, she said she accomplished her primary purpose of putting on the record the alternative interpretation of the marijuana rider. Norton told the Committee that she was testifying to preserve the District’s options and to allow its lawyers to review and interpret the rider’s effect for itself.  Norton also reminded the Committee of the racial justice issues that motivated D.C.’s legalization law and its distinction as the narrowest and strictest marijuana legalization law in the country.  Norton said that although the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee interpreted the rider to block Initiative 71, the rider only bars the use of D.C. funds to “enact any law, rule or regulation.”  Under the alternative reading, Initiative 71 has already been enacted, is self-executing, that is no further D.C. funds or action are needed, and will take effect after the expiration of the congressional layover period. Norton has been told that leading Democrats support the alternative view, including Rep. José E. Serrano, ranking member of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over D.C. affairs, who said “D.C. marijuana rider included in the omnibus appropriations bill does not prevent Washington D.C. from legalizing marijuana as the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee claims it does.” Earlier today, Norton said that, contrary to press reports, it is far from certain that the omnibus bill blocks the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana.  Norton said, “Based on a plain reading of the bill and principles of statutory interpretation, the District may be able to carry out its marijuana legalization initiative.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-put-alternative-view-of-dc-marijuana-legalization-riders-in,"Norton to Put Alternative View of D.C. Marijuana Legalization Riders in Omnibus on Congressional Record, Today in Rules Committee",2014-12-10,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Upon release of the fiscal year 2015 omnibus spending bill, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today will testify at a House Rules Committee hearing, today at 3:00 p.m. in support of her amendment to strike the anti-home-rule marijuana and abortion riders from the omnibus and to put on the congressional record the alternative view of the marijuana legalization provision’s effect. Norton said that, contrary to press reports, it is far from certain that the omnibus bill blocks the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana.  In a release early today, Norton said, “Based on a plain reading of the bill and principles of statutory interpretation, the District may be able to carry out its marijuana legalization initiative.”  Initiative 71, the city’s voter-passed law to legalize small amounts of marijuana, was passed only after independent studies showed that 90 percent of those who are arrested for marijuana are Black, although Blacks and Whites use marijuana at the same rate and Blacks comprise 52 percent of D.C.’s population. Norton’s remarks as prepared for delivery follow:   Testimony of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton Hearing on H.R. 83, Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 House Rules Committee December 10, 2014   Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Slaughter, Members of the Committee, I urge the majority to live up to its professed support for the principles of federalism, limited government, and local control of local affairs by not interfering in the local laws of the District of Columbia.  I have filed two amendments to the bill--one to strike the provision limiting the District’s authority over its local marijuana laws, and one to strike the provision prohibiting D.C. from spending its local funds on abortion services for low-income women. I am here first and foremost to put on the record that the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee’s stated view that the bill’s D.C. marijuana rider blocks the D.C. marijuana legalization initiative from taking effect is not the view of the entire House, as well as to preserve the ability of the District and its lawyers to review, analyze and interpret the rider’s effect for themselves, in the event my amendment to strike the rider is not accepted by the committee.  You should adopt my amendment because the rider indisputably restricts D.C.’s authority over its local marijuana policies, but you should also adopt it to remove any questions about the city’s authority over its local marijuana laws. Based on a plain reading of the bill and principles of statutory interpretation, it is arguable that the rider does not block D.C. from carrying out its marijuana legalization initiative.  The House-passed D.C. marijuana rider, introduced by Representative Andy Harris, and the omnibus D.C. marijuana rider are not identical.  Unlike the Harris rider, the omnibus rider does not block D.C. from “carrying out” enacted marijuana policies.  D.C.’s Initiative 71, it can be argued, was enacted when it was approved overwhelmingly by voters in November and was self-executing--i.e., it did not require enactment of any rules for its implementation.  Therefore, it can be argued that the legalization of small amounts of marijuana can proceed. The District of Columbia legalized marijuana primarily to combat racial injustice, after two independent studies, one by the American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation's Capital and the other by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, found shocking racial disparities in the enforcement of marijuana laws in D.C.  Whites and Blacks in D.C. use marijuana at the same rates, and Blacks compromise slightly less than 50% of the population, but Blacks in D.C. are eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than non-Blacks, and 91% of all marijuana arrests are of Blacks.  These disparities exist in urban areas throughout the country. Arrests and convictions for marijuana possession ruin lives, especially those of Black males.  An arrest or conviction for marijuana possession often condemns Blacks, particularly those from low-income neighborhoods, to joblessness.  Losing the ability to find legitimate work can lead a person to the underground economy, even to selling drugs, rather than mere possession.  The Black community itself pays the price because men without the prospect of employment often do not form stable families.  There may be some misconceptions about the District’s legalization law. The District has the narrowest and strictest marijuana legalization law in the country.  D.C. will not become a regional or national haven for marijuana use or transactions.   Unlike D.C., the four states that have legalized marijuana permit the sale and purchase of marijuana.  Under D.C.’s marijuana legalization law, possession and home cultivation are permitted, but all the following are not permitted: sales or purchase, retail stores, smoking in public, and possession by those under 21 years of age. The bill also blocks the District from spending its local funds to provide abortion services for low-income women.  We are talking about 100% local D.C. funds, not federal funds.  D.C. raises almost $7 billion per year in local funds through taxes and fees.  As with marijuana, the District is being singled out for unfair treatment.  Seventeen states, including Arizona, Alaska, and West Virginia, spend their local funds on abortion services for low-income women.  This bill does not block them from doing so.  When the D.C. abortion rider was re-imposed in April 2011, many low-income D.C. women had to immediately cancel their scheduled reproductive health care services because, unlike wealthier D.C. women, they relied on D.C. to pay for their health care services. I urge you to adopt my amendments and to respect the local laws of the 650,000 American citizens who live in the District of Columbia.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-polis-to-hold-press-conference-to-defend-dc-marijuana-laws-today,"Norton, Polis to Hold Press Conference to Defend D.C. Marijuana Laws, Today",2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that Norton and Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) will hold a press conference at 3:30 p.m. today to respond to press reports that the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill may block the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana.  Who: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) When: 3:30 p.m. Today, Tuesday, December 9, 2014 Where: House Radio/TV Gallery, Studio A",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-releases-remarks-from-press-conference-to-defend-dc-marijuana,Norton Releases Remarks from Press Conference to Defend D.C. Marijuana Laws,2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released Norton’s remarks following her press conference at 3:30 p.m. today to respond to press reports that the fiscal year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill may block the District of Columbia from legalizing marijuana.  Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sam Farr (D-CA), and Jared Polis (D-CO) also made remarks at the press conference. Norton’s remarks as prepared for delivery follow: “I am not here to speak about rumors that I hope are not true.  Despite media reports that the omnibus may block D.C. from legalizing marijuana, I am told that negotiations on the bill are ongoing, and we are still fighting and talking to the relevant leaders to do all we can to protect D.C.’s marijuana legalization law, Initiative 71, which was approved by 70 percent of D.C. voters in November. I continue to speak with House and Senate Democratic leaders and the White House about Republican efforts to interfere with D.C.’s local laws, although most of our leaders are not in the negotiations and have seen no language.  I do know Democratic leaders have been pushing back against Republican attempts to take down the D.C. ballot initiative and even to wipe out marijuana decriminalization.  I would be at a loss to explain why Democrats would agree to block D.C. marijuana legalization on their watch – we control the White House and the Senate and House Democratic votes may be needed to pass the omnibus.  Republicans will control Congress in less than a month.  I don’t know why Democrats would give them a head start in interfering with the District’s local laws. Among the issues I have emphasized in my discussions with the leaders, none have been more important than the necessity of legalization to combat racial injustice.  I am a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys, and the findings of two independent studies showing racial disparities in the enforcement of marijuana laws are very hard to live with – Blacks in D.C. are eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than non-Blacks, and 91 percent of all marijuana arrests are of Blacks, even though Whites and Blacks in D.C. use marijuana at the same rates.  If the city can do something about the stigmatization of Blacks, particularly a “drug conviction” for possession of small amounts of marijuana, it must do it.  Otherwise, D.C. itself would be complicit in the unemployment and underemployment that we know is the fate of African Americans who carry marijuana convictions.  Legalization can make a dent in this racial injustice. Some may be ready to give up on legalization on the basis of press reports.  I cannot afford that kind of defeatism.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-black-men-and-boys-caucus-briefing-on-unbiased,"Norton to Speak at Black Men and Boys Caucus Briefing on Unbiased Reporting of Men of Color, Tomorrow",2014-12-09,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that Norton, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys (CCBMB), will give remarks at a National Collaborative for Health Equity briefing, entitled ""Mediaxploitation: A Call for Unbiased Reporting on Boys and Men of Color,"" tomorrow, Wednesday, December 10, at 8:40 a.m. in the Gold Room of the Rayburn House Office Building (45 Independence Ave SW). The CCBMB briefing is being held in conjunction with the National Collaborative for Health Equity’s Dellums Commission and is scheduled in the wake of two controversial grand jury decisions in the cases of Michael Brown Jr. and Eric Garner.  In each case, the police officers who directly caused the deaths of these unarmed men were not indicted on any charges, sparking protests across the nation and a response from the White House.  The event will feature a presentation and panel discussion on the dearth of media coverage for the peaceful protests that have taken place since the Brown and Garner incidents and on the traditionally negative portrayal of young black men in the news.  Norton, whose House-passed amendment to the House fiscal year 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill to prevent profiling by law enforcement officials and to ensure citizens are not stopped, investigated, arrested, or detained based on their appearance, plans to engage in more conversations about the dangers of racial profiling on the streets, and in the news, with the hopes that they will lead to much needed police reform. “The tragic killing of Michael Brown and Eric Garner were not in vain if they sparked meaningful discussions about racial profiling and the use of deadly force on young black men by law enforcement,” said Norton.  “Now that the nation has seen first-hand the on-camera choking death of Eric Garner, it is timely to look at the media coverage and public perception of Black men.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-announces-regional-delegation-meeting-with-ddot-and-fhwa-on-i-395,Norton Announces Regional Delegation Meeting with DDOT and FHWA on I-395 Closures,2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, announced a regional delegation meeting with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) officials on Thursday, December 11, at 3:00 p.m. on Capitol Hill, following recent news of proposed I-395 closures between New York Avenue and D Street NW without notice to her or any regional consultation.  The possible plan, a federal highway project to shut down a portion of the highway to allow development over I-395, which would displace 90,000 cars each day, became known to most Members of Congress through news reports.  DDOT and FHWA have been trying to facilitate a major project to reconnect F St and G St NW over a part of I-395.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-any-closure-of-vital-i-395-segment-requires-full-member-and,Norton Says Any Closure of Vital I-395 Segment Requires Full Member and Public Consultation,2014-12-08,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said she could not understand how the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) could have exchanged alternatives for closure of the vital I-395 highway between New York Avenue and D Street NW without notice to her and to neighboring Members of Congress whose constituents would be seriously affected.  The possible plan to shut down a portion of the highway to allow development over I-395, which would displace 90,000 cars each day, became known to most Members of Congress through news reports.  Norton, who is the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, said no major change affecting transportation can be made without full and timely consultation with the region and public participation. “We are demanding a meeting between regional Members, FHWA, and DDOT as soon as possible,” Norton said.  “Not even my office received notice or copies of the correspondence between DDOT and FHWA, regarding the alternatives for possible partial or full closure of this D.C. section of I-395 and the implications.  Impacts of a closure would fall directly not only on the District, whose streets in the area are already saturated, but equally on regional and D.C. residents, who need participation, time and planning before a major highway is closed.” Norton said that Capitol Crossing – a $1.5 billion project, financed solely by the developer, which will reconnect F St and G St NW and generate $30 million in property taxes – is a major project that the District has long sought.  However, she said that federal and D.C. agencies should have known that regional representatives should be briefed on the contemplation of so serious a proposed closure, before news reports informed them. Norton cited her many years working with DDOT on projects and road and highway closures.  In advance of the full closure of the Frederick Douglass/South Capitol Street Bridge, in 2007, when Norton ensured that all of the region’s stakeholders were part of the planning, the region agreed to the permanent closure of the bridge for 8 weeks in July and August 2007 – summer months when traffic normally subsides.  The project developers were offered financial incentives for finishing early.  With consultation, the region learned that if the bridge had only temporary closures, the project would require more than a year to complete.  Like the I-395 highway section at issue here, the South Capitol Bridge, a component of the South Capitol Street Gateway entrance to the city, is an indispensable road and displaced almost as many residents and commuters.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-remarks-for-funeral-of-marion-barry,Norton Remarks for Funeral of Marion Barry,2014-12-06,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Norton speaking at the funeral of Marion Barry, 12/6/14, courtesy: Washington Post) WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released Norton’s written remarks ahead of the funeral service of former District of Columbia mayor Marion Barry, Jr.  Norton has been asked to speak about the influence of civil rights on his life.  The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW. Norton’s remarks follow: Remarks of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton at the Funeral of Marion Barry, Jr. Walter E. Washington Convention Center December 6, 2014   I offer my love and condolences yet again to my good friend Cora Barry and to Christopher.  I have been asked to speak about Marion Barry, whom I first met when we were both in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC.  In speaking about Marion as a son of the civil rights movement, I speak not only for myself.  I speak in memory of some who knew and worked with Marion but have passed on, for other of his movement colleagues, who wanted to be here but could not, and for still others who are here.  The roll of those who first worked with Marion in the movement is too long to call, but among them are and were John Lewis, Frank Smith, Joyce and Dorie Ladner, Bob Moses, Julian Bond, Ruby Robinson, Courtland Cox, Chuck McDew, Diane Nash, James Foreman, Stokely Carmichael, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Gloria Richardson, Bernard Lafayette, and Rev. Jessie Jackson, who will deliver the eulogy.  All of us knew Marion Barry when he was being formed as a man by the civil rights movement.  Years later, here in Washington, when Marion and I had different roles, I was fond of teasing him on the dance floor about bringing his cotton chopping moves to the big city, as Marion did what he called “dancing.”  He laughed, knowing that this was my way, as a D.C. girl from up South, of saying to my old friend from the southern civil rights movement, “You have come a long way, buddy, from picking cotton in Itta Bena, Mississippi to running the nation’s capital.”  But those cotton picking roots served Marion Barry Jr. well.  He challenged poverty by working himself out of it.  “Coming from the cotton fields of Mississippi, I was used to hard work.  It doesn’t bother me,” he wrote in his autobiography.  But, it was the civil rights movement that equipped Marion to challenge segregation and prepared him to become our mayor.  If you want to understand Marion Barry, don’t start with his years as mayor.  Go first to the boy who chopped cotton at 7, while going to school in a one room school house in Itta Bena and sold newspapers and rags in Memphis.  Then go to his first years as a man, and you will find him in the civil rights movement. For Marion Barry, Jr., it was those beginnings in sharecropping poverty deep in the bosom of segregated Mississippi and Tennessee that led him to the civil rights movement.  That childhood imbedded in him a dedication to civil rights and to the poor throughout his years as mayor and as Ward 8 Council Member.  As a child, he saw sharecropping bind Black people to the plantation economy and make any attempt to vote a life threating act.  “I had no choice but to join the fight for civil rights,” he wrote.  “The injustice of segregation was all around me.” Marion Barry, as a boy, grew up knowing only segregation.  As a man, he groomed himself to challenge it.  He had used his fine mind and penchant for hard work to write his own ticket into the professional class, but Marion gave up his chemistry graduate school fellowship, along with it his PhD, although he had finished all the course work except for the thesis.  But Marion could not resist the call of the movement.  He moved from chemistry classes to James Lawson’s non-violent resistance workshops and to leadership along with Diane Nash of the Nashville sit-ins, to Raleigh where he became the first chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and to the Mississippi movement and the work of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.  During those early years, Marion not only was steeped in non-violent resistance, but in active strategic organization.  What Marion Barry learned about organizing in the deep South held him in good stead for the rest of his life.  He brought community organizing to D.C. and organized his way into the leadership of this city. A man can choose to escape and forget childhood poverty and merely reminisce about his early years in the movement.  Instead, Marion joined his childhood poverty and his life-changing years in the civil rights movement to form his world view. Whatever else we take from Marion Barry’s life, we must recognize the roots that shaped him.  Today, we rejoice that the civil rights movement brought him to the next – or is it last – frontier for civil rights.  People will choose their own part of Marion Barry’s life to remember.  As we struggle for statehood in the District, let us always celebrate Marion Barry, Jr., the freedom fighter.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-dc-is-closer-than-ever-to-getting-national-women-s-history,Norton Says D.C. is Closer than Ever to Getting National Womens History Museum,2014-12-05,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), an original cosponsor of the House-passed H.R. 863, the “Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum Act of 2013,” today said she was pleased that the final fiscal year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) creates a commission to develop a report on a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Women's History Museum in the District of Columbia.  Norton has tried for years to get a bill for a National Women’s History Museum through the Economic Development Subcommittee and to the House floor.  The House passed the bill this week, and the Senate is expected to pass it next week. “It is time to stop delay of a National Women’s Museum in our nation’s capital, particularly when the public seems eager to learn more about the impact of women in our society,” Norton said.  “To encourage and empower even more women to make contributions and to take on leadership roles, we must understand and appreciate the countless contributions they have already made to our nation’s history.” Norton, a senior member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, has been working with Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) – the sponsor of H.R. 863 – and other women in the House and Senate since 2009 to establish a National Women’s History Museum.  Initially, they found land on the Mall that could have been designated for the museum, but it is no longer available.  They also directly tried to get the museum established.  However, just as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, currently under construction, required a study, Norton believes a study is also the best way to achieve a National Women’s History Museum.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-final-dol-rule-brings-first-federal-protection-against-bias,Norton Says Final DOL Rule Brings First Federal Protection Against Bias to LGBT Americans,2014-12-05,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a former chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today praised the Department of Labor (DOL) for its final rule, announced earlier this week, that implements President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  The EO is the first federal anti-discrimination protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans in the private sector.  Currently, there is no federal law that prohibits companies from discriminating against their employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity, although 18 states and the District of Columbia have such laws. “The DOL rule ensured appropriate enforcement of the President’s EO to help eliminate discrimination against LGBT employees of federal contractors and subcontractors, and brought up the need for Congress to use its authority to do the same for all other U.S. employers by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act,” Norton said. Norton said President Obama did what President Franklin Delano Roosevelt did in 1941 with Executive Order 8802, which barred discrimination in the federal government and defense industries based on race, color, creed and national origin, well before Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act barred discrimination in the entire country. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  Norton has been pressing for House passage of ENDA since she was first elected to Congress.  The bill has special meaning for Norton because it amends Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, barring job discrimination, which she enforced as chair of the EEOC.  The bill currently has 206 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. Norton has been a longtime leader for LGBT rights.  After the District of Columbia passed its marriage equality law, Norton was successful in defeating several attempts in the House and Senate to repeal the law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-perform-in-washington-ballet-production-of-the-nutcracker,Norton to Perform in Washington Ballet Production of The Nutcracker,2014-12-05,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will perform in the Washington Ballet production of The Nutcracker tomorrow, December 6, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street NW. This will be the third time Norton joins the 66-year-old, District of Columbia-based company for its holiday-themed production, which is in its 10th year.  Norton made appearances in 2009 and 2011, and is once again slated to play a merry widow in the play.  The artistic director of the play, Septime Webre, created the historical adaptation of The Nutcracker especially for the D.C. area in 2004, and uses local places, lawmakers, sports figures, and other notable D.C. figures in major and minor roles.  Norton, Mayor Vincent Gray, and the late Marion Barry were among those who have performed in prior years. ""There is no more delightful fun than seeing or being lucky enough to be asked to perform in The Nutcracker,” Norton said. “Isn’t this every kid’s dream?  If truth be told, those of us who missed the chance in childhood are more than happy to try to make up for it, given the opportunity!” The Washington Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker will run through December 28, 2014. More information about the production is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-funeral-service-for-marion-barry-tomorrow,"Norton to Speak at Funeral Service for Marion Barry, Tomorrow",2014-12-05,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced today that the Congresswoman will speak at the funeral of former District of Columbia mayor Marion Barry Jr., tomorrow, December 6, 2014.  The service will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW. Barry, much like Norton, had his roots in the civil rights movement before coming to the nation’s capital.  Norton met Barry while they were both in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), before she became a member of Congress and worked with Barry during two of his four terms as mayor.  Norton has been asked to speak about the influence of civil rights on his life. “I have always understood that Marion’s decision to join the civil rights movement was a shaping moment in his life,” said Norton.  “I will be pleased and honored to speak about this aspect of the man I have known for so long.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-gratified-by-statements-of-new-house-and-senate-dc-committee,Norton Gratified by Statements of New House and Senate D.C. Committee Chairs Supporting Home Rule,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (OGR), today said she was gratified that the two new chairs of the committees with jurisdiction over District of Columbia affairs in the next Congress indicated respect for the city’s home rule without undue interference from Congress.  Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) is the presumptive chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) will be the chair of the House OGR Committee.  The statements were published by Roll Call today. “Both of the new chairs have indicated an admirable and principled approach, consistent with the Home Rule Act, which empowers the city to make decisions without interference from Congress,” Norton said.  “Residents understand that, under the Home Rule Act, some matters must come to Congress, but they chafe at being treated with less respect than other American citizens.  In recent years, the two committees, under Republican and Democratic chairs, have adhered to their own principles of local self-government and federalism and readily applied those same principles to the District.  We greatly appreciate the indications that the new chairs intend to operate in this tradition.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-responds-to-press-reports-about-possibility-of-dc-riders-in,Norton Responds to Press Reports About Possibility of D.C. Riders in Upcoming Spending Bill,2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to press inquiries and reports, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that she is working around the clock to protect the District of Columbia’s right to home rule in the fiscal year 2015 omnibus spending bill, expected to be released on Monday.  The House’s version of the fiscal year 2015 D.C. appropriations bill contains three anti-home-rule riders – one from Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) to prohibit the District from using its local funds to decriminalize or legalize small amounts of marijuana, one from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to prohibit the city from using its local funds to enforce its ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and other gun laws, and one that is regularly attached to the D.C. appropriations bill to prohibit the city from spending its local funds on abortion services for low-income women.  Norton said that she is involved in conversations with House and Senate leaders and the White House, asking that they hold fast against Republican efforts to carry House interference with D.C. home rule into the final bill. Norton said that it was critical to defeat Rep. Harris’ marijuana rider considering the racial justice impetus for D.C.’s marijuana policies, following two recent studies that show that almost all marijuana-related arrests in D.C. are of Black residents, even though Blacks and Whites use marijuana at the same rate.  Twenty-three states have legalized medical marijuana, 18 states have decriminalized marijuana, and four states have legalized marijuana.  A February 2014 Pew Research Center poll found that 54% of Americans support marijuana legalization.  Norton also said that when the Secret Service has had difficulty protecting the White House from gun fire, the Massie gun amendment should be a non-starter.  Eliminating the District’s assault weapons ban and allowing magazines of unlimited capacity would endanger the First Family, federal officials, and countless world leaders and dignitaries that visit D.C. each year, as well as D.C. residents.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-rally-for-low-wage-federal-contract-fast-food-workers,"Norton to Speak at Rally for Low-Wage Federal Contract Fast Food Workers, This Morning",2014-12-04,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will speak at a rally for low-wage federal contract workers today, Thursday, December 4, at 9:00 a.m. outside of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum (Independence Ave SW and 6th Street NW).  Norton will be joined by workers, other Members of Congress, and representatives from Good Jobs Nation, an organization dedicated to procuring livable wages for federal contract workers. Today’s rally and press conference is occurring on the same day as strikes by fast workers from the McDonald’s at the Smithsonian and Pentagon, and hundreds of other federally contracted, low-wage fast food workers, in an effort to raise the minimum wage for contract workers to $15.00 per hour and to obtain a right to unionize.  Norton has been a congressional leader in fighting for improved wages for workers employed by federal contractors, speaking at their demonstrations and participating in Change to Win and Good Jobs Nation meetings with workers, and is the sponsor of the ROSIE Act, which incentivizes federal government contractors to support workers’ collective bargaining, pay living wages and benefits, stop wage theft, and avoid paying CEOs excessive salaries.  Norton has called on the President to put the ROSIE Act into an EO.  Norton, encouraged by the president’s EO in October that raised the minimum wage for federal contract workers from $7.25 to $10.10, which will take effect for new contracts or replacements for expiring contracts that are awarded after January 1, 2015, is supportive of raising the minimum wage even higher, to $15.00 per hour, and allowing federal contract workers to unionize. “These rallies are working – the President, the Department of Labor, and the federal contractors who employ these low-wage workers have been listening,” said Norton.  “Raising the minimum wage and incentivizing fair labor practices for federal contractors is the next logical step.  These workers, who have the least, and the most to lose, have taken the lead.  It’s time for federal contractors to follow.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-former-eeoc-chair-applauds-senate-confirmation-of-new-eeoc,"Norton, Former EEOC Chair, Applauds Senate Confirmation of New EEOC Commissioner Charlotte Burrows and Second-Term General Counsel P. David Lopez",2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a former chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), said she was very pleased by the Senate confirmation of Charlotte Burrows as a new EEOC Commissioner, as well as the confirmation of P. David Lopez for his second term as EEOC General Counsel.  Norton met with both and later sent a letter of support to the Senate with Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.  Burrows, the current Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice, was confirmed by a vote of 93-2 for a term expiring July 1, 2019.  Lopez was confirmed by a vote of 53-43.  “I congratulate both of these highly qualified lawyers who will bring a wealth of experience and brilliant background to the EEOC,” Norton said.  “They will be key assets in one of the most critical federal agencies.”  Norton was appointed in 1977 to the EEOC as the first female chair by President Jimmy Carter and enforced federal job discrimination laws, such as Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, barring job discrimination.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-mourns-loss-of-dc-resident-and-activist-aj-cooper,Norton Mourns Loss of D.C. Resident and Activist A.J. Cooper,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the death of a promising young District of Columbia resident, activist A.J. Cooper, who, at age 34, suddenly passed away from a heart attack earlier today.  Norton said that she has spoken with Peggy Cooper Cafritz, her good friend and A.J.’s aunt, to express her condolences, and she sends her thoughts and prayers to the entire family and friends of A.J. Cooper. “In his short life, A.J. had managed to leave his mark on the city,” Norton said.  “I first got to know A.J. when he broke the mold on the issue of teen pregnancy as policy director for the D.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.  A.J. provided leadership where many young Black men might have left the issue to female advocates.  He cast a new light on the issue of teen pregnancy, what we should all be doing about it, and the responsibility we all have for all our children.  Not only did A.J. care about future generations, but he was invested in their future and in the future of this city and its residents.  My heart aches for his family and all those who were touched by his passion and talent.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-final-defense-authorization-act-bill-contains-legislative,Norton Says Final Defense Authorization Act Bill Contains Legislative Wins for D.C.,2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that she was pleased that the final fiscal year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), released yesterday, contains two wins for the District of Columbia:  a provision that re-designates Pershing Park as the World War I Memorial, laying to rest any possible nationalization of D.C.’s War Memorial, and, for the third-straight year, does not contain Representative Phil Gingrey’s (R-GA) anti-home-rule gun amendment.  The Gingrey amendment was passed as an amendment to the House’s version of the bill earlier this year, expressing the sense of Congress that active duty military personnel in their private capacity should be exempt from the gun safety laws of the District of Columbia, but not elsewhere.  Norton has fought the sense of Congress provision, even though it does not have the force of law, because it was a foot in the door, putting Congress on record in favor of weakening D.C.’s gun laws.  This Congress, Rep. Gingrey introduced his amendment as a stand-alone bill as well, but it was not passed by the House.  Rep. Gingrey lost his bid for the Senate and will be leaving Congress this year.  “Especially when it comes to public safety, Congress needs to get off of D.C.’s back,” Norton said.  “Whether it is Rep. Gingrey’s ‘message provision’ on guns or the more serious Rep. Massie amendment to wipe out several of D.C.’s gun laws, we can’t allow Congress to ruin public safety and put our people in harm’s way.  Also, I appreciate that our friends in the Republican House and the Democratic Senate have agreed to the re-designation of Pershing Park as the World War I Memorial.  Veterans of ‘the Great War’ deserve and will have a war memorial of their own in the nation’s capital without piggy-backing on D.C.’s WWI commemoration on the Mall.  The D.C. War Memorial has come to symbolize all of this city’s veterans, who went to war and came home without a vote and full equality in the union.” Norton is an original cosponsor of the Pershing Park re-designation bill, which was introduced by Congressmen Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Ted Poe (R-TX), which would re-designate Pershing Park, a federal park in the District of Columbia, as the “National World War I Memorial” and preserve the D.C. War Memorial for D.C. veterans only.  Norton fought attempts to nationalize the D.C. War Memorial as the national World War I memorial, while also working to create a national World War I memorial in the District.   Norton and her colleagues previously agreed that the D.C. War Memorial would remain dedicated exclusively to D.C. veterans, and that they would continue to work together to pursue a number of other options for a national World War I memorial in the District, and to re-designate the Liberty Memorial of Kansas City, Missouri as the “National World War I Museum and Memorial.”  The NDAA accomplishes those goals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-walter-reed-language-in-defense-authorization-bill-leaves-dc,"Norton Says Walter Reed Language in Defense Authorization Bill Leaves D.C. Whole, Fair Compromise for Childrens National and the State Department",2014-12-03,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that after her negotiations with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees she supports compromise language contained in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (NDAA), released last night, to dispose of the old Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Building and its attachments (Pathology Building) on the portion of the land at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) site expected to go to the State Department, as requested by Children’s National Medical Center.  Norton was instrumental in ensuring that at least 67 acres of the 110 acre WRAMC site will be occupied by the District of Columbia.  She had supported language in the House-passed NDAA to authorize the transfer of the Pathology Building to Children’s National, which desires to use their state-of-the-art lab space for research on children’s health.  However, the State Department wanted to demolish this space at a cost of up to $20 million for use sometime in the future when it can get funding.  Norton objected, particularly considering that the State Department reportedly was seeking the Pathology Building and the rest of the land for free in violation of federal laws, which caused negotiations between the State Department and Department of Defense (DOD) to stall. After learning of the provision in the House-passed NDAA, the State Department wanted up to eight acres of the 67 acres at the former WRAMC expected to be transferred from DOD to DC.  Granting the State Department’s request for the eight acres would have halted the transfer of the 67 acres to the District and forced the District to restart years of the lengthy planning for redevelopment.  “While the new language was not my first choice, it will keep the District of Columbia whole, and it was the best I could do for Children’s National” Norton said.  “It is fair to the State Department in giving the agency an opportunity to offer a fair price for the land.  If there is no resolution, then the Pathology Building will be used for its intended purpose – to provide a public health benefit to the community.” The language will provide the State Department with an additional opportunity to negotiate with the DOD over disposal of the other 45 acres at WRAMC.  However, if negotiations continue to stall, the DOD will have the opportunity to end negotiations with the State Department.  At that point, the Pathology Building, approximately 13.2 acres, could be transferred to a public or private entity for a public health purpose.  The remaining 32 acres would go through the standard Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) property disposal process, and thus would be available to the District of Columbia for any use.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/blog-posts/assuring-a-new-era-between-citizens-and-police,Assuring a New Era Between Citizens and Police,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"A new generation of young people of every race is demonstrating nonviolently to make sure that the larger meaning of the Michael Brown tragedy is not lost. His death has become much more than a moment of anguish.  Michael Brown has crystallized the painful experience that had found no outlet until now: the routine stops of Black men by police in the streets of our country because of the color of their skin.  The body-mounted cameras, announced by the President yesterday, are a good and practical beginning.  Let's hope that local communities will use this tragedy to assure a new era of genuine collaboration that citizens need with the police who serve and protect them.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-obama-s-announcement-of-body-mounted-cameras-and-nationwide,Norton Says Obamas Announcement of Body-Mounted Cameras and Nationwide Nonviolent Demonstrations Begin Period to Show Michael Brown Did Not Die in Vain,2014-12-02,2014,2014-12,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"(Norton delivers a speech on the House floor about the Michael Brown tragedy - 12/1/14) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that President Barack Obama’s announcement yesterday begins reforms of local law enforcement that are a down payment on the plea of Michael Brown’s father that his son should not die in vain.  The President announced a three-year funding program to provide local police departments up to 50,000 body-mounted cameras.  He also said that a forthcoming Executive Order (EO) will ensure that military surplus made available to local law enforcement through the 1033 program has a legitimate civilian law enforcement purpose, accompanied by strict training requirements made more transparent to the public.  Norton said the Michael Brown tragedy cries out for an EO.   In October, the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department launched a six-month pilot program using body-mounted, point-of-view cameras.  Norton said that although the D.C. pilot program was arranged well before the Ferguson incident, she is pleased that D.C. law enforcement is well on its way to becoming an accountable and transparent 21st-century police force.  In 2008, the Metropolitan Police Department received 500 AR-15 rifles through the 1033 program. Last evening, Norton went on the House floor to ask that the big picture that emerged from the killing of Michael Brown not be lost in the disappointment over the failure to indict Officer Darren Wilson.  Norton said, “The people in the streets are there to see that Michael Brown did not die in vain; that probable cause, once again, becomes color blind, to see that, when a young Black man goes into the street, he is not consistently and constantly profiled because of the color of his skin.” Norton continued, “The provocative stops in the street – Eric Holder, a former U.S. Attorney, now the Attorney General of the United States, has been stopped in the streets of the nation’s capital.  When my son goes into the streets, he is Michael Brown.  We want an America that when he goes into the street, he is like everybody else until he does something wrong and there is probable cause to show it.” Norton mentioned Obama’s $75 million request for funding of body-mounted cameras as an indication that Brown’s death can produce action that has national effects on the issue of profiling that has been seething below the surface with no outlet for remedial action.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-world-aids-day-event-monday,"Norton to Speak at World AIDS Day Event, Monday",2014-11-29,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at a World AIDS Day event Monday, December 1, at 11:45 a.m. at the United Methodist Building in the District of Columbia (100 Maryland Avenue, NE).  Norton will be joined by Reverend Joan Carter-Rimbach, a global HIV/AIDS advocate and senior pastor of First United Methodist Church – Hyattsville; Ron Daniels, public health advocate and co-founder of SMART at Westminster; Jasmine Tyler, senior policy analyst for the Open Society Foundations; and Bishop Marcus Matthews, resident bishop for the Washington Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church.  “This World AIDS Day, we can celebrate the fact that the District’s significant drop in the spread of the virus is due, in part, to our needle exchange program and AIDS awareness campaigns throughout the city,” Norton said.  “We hold even more community discussions and events to erase the stigma and chase the virus away.” World AIDS Day raises awareness in HIV/AIDS prevention, celebrates survival, and commemorates those who have died from HIV/AIDS.  Monday’s event features a prominent display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, a panel discussion on needle exchange programs, and interactive prayer stations.  Norton, who successfully eliminated an appropriations rider from the 2008 annual Financial Services Appropriations bill that prevented the District of Columbia from funding its needle exchange program, believes World AIDS Day is an important milestone to continue to promote greater awareness and to hasten progress in the fight against the spread of the virus.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-and-sba-administrator-recognize-small-business-saturday-by,Norton and SBA Administrator Recognize Small Business Saturday by Visiting a SE Business,2014-11-26,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will mark Small Business Saturday, a national day that celebrates small businesses in local communities, on Saturday, November 29, at 2:00 p.m. by visiting Nubian Hueman Boutique Lounge (1231 Good Hope Road SE).  She will be accompanied by the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Maria Contreras-Sweet.  Nubian Hueman is an ethic-centered art and fashion boutique in southeast District of Columbia. According to U.S. Census numbers, the District is home to more than 55,000 small businesses, with nearly 1-in-3 Black-owned and another 1-in-3 women-owned. Small Business Saturday, now in its fourth year, has become an annual tradition for American’s to shop at smaller brick-and-mortar business in their community. “The District’s small businesses, tens of thousands strong, are a testament to the strong entrepreneurial will of our residents,” Norton said.  “These are our neighbors and our friends.  We need to patronize and boost them, particularly at this festive tie of year, when they make a disproportionate share of their revenue.” Last month, Norton received the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Legacy Award, a rare honor for a progressive Democrat, for her economic development bills and contributions to the progress and advancement of the District.  The largest of Norton’s economic development projects is the construction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters at St. Elizabeths, located in the neighborhood of the boutique.  Norton said that she expects to see many more small businesses along Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road, as the DHS complex Center Building is expected to bring the DHS secretary, top officials and another 700 DHS employees to the area.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-condemns-latest-republican-attempt-to-ban-dc-speed-and-traffic,Norton Condemns Latest Republican Attempt to Ban D.C. Speed and Traffic Cameras,2014-11-26,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – As they are about to leave Congress, two members of the House could not resist one last chance to bully the District of Columbia, the Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said today.  Representative Steve Stockman (R-TX) has introduced a bill (H.R. 5755) that would prohibit the District from using automated traffic enforcement systems, such as red light and speed cameras.  The bill’s cosponsor is Representative Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI), who last year sought cosponsors for a similar bill.  However, Bentivolio ultimately did not introduce his bill after Norton alerted his local media that he was interfering in the local affairs of another jurisdiction.  Rep. Stockman, who lost a bid for Senate, will not be running for another term in the House, and Rep. Bentivolio lost his primary election earlier this year. “These two Members, on their way out of Congress, have turned their focus away from their own constituents,” Norton said.  “So, free from accountability to their own residents, they are making a last ditch attempt to secure a legacy on the backs of District of Columbia residents.  We would have thought that Republicans would be the first, not the last, to acknowledge that traffic laws are a classic local public safety matter.  These two members, who profess to support federalism and local control of local affairs, have left their principles behind.  Whatever one’s views on the merits of traffic cameras, D.C.’s use of them is a quintessential local matter for the local elected government to decide, and not for the big foot of the federal government.” Unlike Bentivolio’s draft bill, which was focused solely on the District, Stockman’s bill has two provisions.  One provision would withhold 10 percent of certain federal aid highway funds from any state or local government that uses automated traffic enforcement systems.  The other provision bans the District in particular from using any traffic cameras. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, hundreds of jurisdictions in 24 states across the country use traffic enforcement systems, including 495 jurisdictions that use red light cameras and 138 that use speed cameras.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-s-east-of-the-river-town-hall-produces-action-on-crime-at,Nortons East of the River Town Hall Produces Action on Crime at Shepherd Parkway and Kenilworth Parks,2014-11-26,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that she was pleased with the initial progress that followed last month’s “Capital Parks East Town Hall,” the first to be held concerning National Park Service (NPS) parks east of the Anacostia River.  In the weeks since Norton’s town hall, the stakeholders have moved on two of the four action items of concern east of the river.  U.S. Park Police (USPP) has cracked down on crime, including thirteen arrests in Shepherd Parkway, an urban park in Southeast with a wooded corridor of wildlife and the remains of two Civil War-era forts.  Making Shepherd Parkway accessible so residents can see the rare plants and natural resources has become possible now that USPP is patrolling the park and surrounding area and arresting criminals.   NPS and USPP also agreed to make sure that Kenilworth Park, another NPS park east of the river, is kept safe.  There are lights in the park, but NPS is still trying to determine who has the jurisdiction to turn the lights on so Kenilworth Park is not dark and residents can see and report crime.  NPS and USPP have started locking the Kenilworth Park entrance gate at night, a good first step. “Our thanks to NPS and USPP for cracking down on crime and ensuring the safety and usability of Shepherd Parkway and Kenilworth Park,” Norton said.  “Prior to our town hall, residents were afraid to go into these parks.  Park Police are opening the Shepherd Parkway reserve to people and closing it to crime.  There are still continuing concerns raised by the community about Kenilworth Park and Shepherd Parkway, but NPS and USPP deserve credit for starting strong.  We’ll keep following up until the parks east of the river give nothing but enjoyment to residents.” Last month, Norton hosted a well-attended town hall meeting to discuss the federal parkland in the Ward 7 and 8 communities, which includes Shepherd Parkway.  In attendance were NPS Superintendent of National Capital Parks-East, Gopaul Noojibail; the chair of the Shepherd Parkway Committee, Nathan Harrington; and the executive director of Washington Parks & People, Steve Coleman. This was the first of Norton’s town halls to focus on the copious amount of NPS parkland east of the Anacostia River.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-give-thanks-to-dc-area-military-families-friday,"Norton to Give Thanks to D.C Area Military Families, Friday",2014-11-26,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will begin Thanksgiving weekend by speaking at the Fourth Annual Military Thanksgiving Dinner, Friday, November 28, at 6:20 p.m. at Arena Stage (1101 6th St. SW).  The event takes place in gratitude to servicemembers and their families.  “The spirit of Thanksgiving deserves to be shared with everyone in our community, particularly with our wounded warriors, servicemembers, and military families,” Norton said.  “We in the District are especially thankful for the sacrifices of D.C. servicemembers and veterans and their families, who have traveled abroad to uphold and bring democracy, only to return home to our nation’s capital without the basic freedoms they themselves have risked their lives to help secure for others.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-george-didden-holiday-tree-lighting-ceremony-saturday,"Norton to Speak at George Didden Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony, Saturday on Capitol Hill",2014-11-26,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will speak at the George Didden Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony this Saturday, November 29, at 5:50 p.m. at 8th Street and Pennsylvania Ave SE, the Northeast quadrant of the Eastern Market Metro Plaza, her home community. The tree lighting ceremony has been a District of Columbia tradition since 2007, and was established when members of the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District (BID) planted a tree at Eastern Market to honor the late George Didden III, former president of BID.  The tree has been lit every holiday season by Didden’s wife, Kathy Didden.  “The lighting of ‘Big George’ is becoming a time-honored festivity for the Capitol Hill community,” Norton said.  “I am so pleased that Capitol Hill BID is continuing this neighborhood tradition of honoring George Didden with the tree lighting, a visual reminder for residents and visitors that Capitol Hill is a community of neighbors and residents.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-congratulates-dr-james-loeffler-dc-resident-for-prestigious-kluge,"Norton Congratulates Dr. James Loeffler, D.C. Resident, for Prestigious Kluge Fellowship",2014-11-25,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today congratulated District of Columbia resident Dr. James Loeffler for being selected as a Fellow at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.  The Center brings together scholars and researchers from around the world to utilize the Library's vast resources, and to leverage their research through meaningful interactions with policymakers and the public.  As a Kluge Fellow, Dr. Loeffler is working on his current book project, The Vanishing Minority: Jews and Human Rights in the Twentieth Century, looking at the roles of Jews in building and critiquing the modern human rights movement after World War II through the 1980s.  Dr. Loeffler, an Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia, is a respected historian, musicologist, and trained pianist, and has been actively involved in Jewish music for the past decade as a scholar, critic and performer.  He served as Pro Musica Hebraica’s research director during its first seven years and is now the organization’s Resident Scholar. “I send my warmest congratulations to Dr. Loeffler for receiving this prestigious fellowship, which will contribute to our greater understanding of the many contributions of the Jewish people,” Norton said.  “As a fighter for human rights my entire life, I very much look forward to Dr. Loeffler’s research and his new book.” A native of Washington, D.C., Dr. Loeffler was educated at Harvard College (A.B. 1996), the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (Dorot Foundation Fellow), and Columbia University (M.A. 2000 and Ph.D. 2006 in history).  In 2003 and 2004, he was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to Russia and Ukraine to document the history of Jewish music in the former Soviet Union.  Dr. Loeffler’s research has also been supported by grants from the Wexner Foundation Graduate Fellowship, the Center for Jewish History and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. For more information about fellowship opportunities at the Library of Congress, visit www.loc.gov/kluge.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-despite-grand-jury-decision-in-michael-brown-shooting-two,"Norton Says Despite Grand Jury Decision in Michael Brown Shooting, Two Great National Issues Emerge from the Shadows",2014-11-25,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today sent her condolences to the family and friends of Michael Brown and called for peaceful protest in the town of Ferguson, Missouri and nationwide. “The grand jury decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson guarantees that the circumstances surrounding the death of Michael Brown will always be controversial.  Perhaps understanding this, the District Attorney, in an unusual action, has promised to release testimony from the grand jury.  The inspection of the grand jury proceedings, the ongoing Justice Department investigation to determine if there has been racial profiling and excessive force by the Ferguson Police Department, and the Justice Department investigation of possible civil rights violations, as well as potential civil litigation, may still provide some closure and justice in the case of Michael Brown.  “Whatever the testimony shows about the police shooting of Michael Brown, his parents need not be concerned that he has died in vain, a fear expressed by his father in calling for peaceful protest first.  First, this tragedy has drawn out of the shadows a nationwide outpouring of grievances that have been simmering below the surface in communities of color, but had found no outlet until the shooting of Michael Brown.  That reality is that provocative stops and detentions of people of color on the streets of our country, particularly African American men, have become the norm throughout the United States.  “This tragedy also exposed the militarization of police, even in small communities like Ferguson.  Equipping police for war in the streets is itself a provocation.  Police armed for war are a waste of resources and can lead to a waste of lives.  “Michael Brown did not die in vain if these two issues seething below the surface have found their way into the national conscious where they can finally find resolution.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-appear-on-whur-s-hour-long-daily-drum-tribute-to-the-life-and,"Norton to Appear on WHURs Hour-Long Daily Drum Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Marion Barry, Tonight",2014-11-24,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will appear on an hour-long program about the life and legacy of Ward 8 councilmember and former mayor of the District of Columbia Marion Barry tonight, November 24, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on WHUR’s The Daily Drum radio show (96.3 FM).  Norton will be joined by D.C. community leaders and reporters.  The segment can be live-streamed here: https://www.whur.com/whur-96-3-listen-live/. “Marion Barry was a larger-than-life figure in our community and he deserves a larger-than-life recognition of his accomplishments for the District of Columbia,” Norton said. Norton, a former member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), first met Barry when he was the first chair of SNCC.  Upon moving into elected office in Washington, Norton and Barry worked together over the years to improve conditions in the city and in Ward 8.  Barry worked closely with Norton on her work that is bringing the Department of Homeland Security complex to Ward 8, making it the first federal agency east of the Anacostia River.  They also worked together on her bill, the Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2006 that transferred Poplar Point and other federal land to the District. Norton said his wife, Cora Masters Barry, and his son, Marion Christopher Barry, continue to remain in her thoughts and prayers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-honor-civil-rights-activists-at-white-house-presidential-medal,"Norton to Honor Civil Rights Activists at White House Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony, Today",2014-11-24,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today will attend a White House ceremony honoring nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including a posthumous award to three student civil rights activists, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who were killed in Mississippi during the 1964 Freedom Summer.  Norton, who spent her time in the Civil Rights Movement often in Mississippi, had pressed the White House to honor the three students with the award. “The legacy of these three brave young men is ingrained into the 1964 Civil Rights Act itself,” Norton said.  “This 50th anniversary of the 1964 Freedom Summer seemed to me, and many of my colleagues, to be the appropriate time to honor the civil rights workers, who gave their lives to the notion of equal rights for every American.” Norton honored these three men when she managed a bill in the 111th Congress, which was signed into law, to name the Federal Bureau of Investigation field office in Jackson, Mississippi for Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner.  As a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Norton helped organize the Mississippi Freedom Summer, and then helped write the brief to the 1964 Democratic Convention for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to replace the segregated Mississippi Democratic Party and ran the lobbying in Atlantic City to win the votes of other delegations to replace the segregated Mississippi delegation.  Less than 15 years later, President Jimmy Carter made Norton the first woman to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where she enforced Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, barring job discrimination.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-statement-on-the-loss-of-marion-barry,Norton Statement on the Loss of Marion Barry,2014-11-23,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today offered condolences to Cora Masters Barry, Marion Christopher Barry, and the family and loved ones of Ward 8 councilmember and former mayor of the District of Columbia, Marion Barry. “From my earliest encounter with Marion Barry, when he was the first chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee until I came back home and found him mayor of my home town, I have seen Marion take hold and write his signature boldly on his own life and times and on the life of the nation’s capital.  Many took his struggle to personify in some way their own, endearing him and making him a larger-than-life figure as he became a creator of post-home-rule D.C.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-offers-early-congratulations-to-sen-johnson-presumptive-chair-of,"Norton Offers Early Congratulations to Sen. Johnson, Presumptive Chair of Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee",2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today released a statement offering early congratulations to Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), the presumptive chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over District of Columbia matters, who, according to Roll Call, recently announced his general preference for more home rule for the District. “I offer my early congratulations to Senator Ron Johnson on his presumptive chairmanship, and look forward to working closely with him.  I hope to visit with Senator Johnson at his convenience and to introduce him to Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser.  Like the counterpart House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, on which I serve, Senator Johnson’s committee devotes most of its time to issues of national importance, but some D.C. issues must come to Congress, such as the recent change giving the District additional jurisdiction over the height of buildings.  The tradition of both the House and Senate committees with D.C. jurisdiction has been that local matters are for local government, consistent with the American principles of federalism and local control.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-obama-family-solidifying-executive-immigration-reform,Norton Says Obama Family Solidifying Executive Immigration Reform Follows Bipartisan Precedents,2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that President Obama’s new measured and modest temporary Immigration Accountability Executive Actions, which feature keeping families together, was a legal and constitutional use of his presidential authority, in keeping with existing precedents to unify families torn apart by delay on immigration reform.  The executive action announced last night extends deportation protections to families of United States citizens or permanent residents, including temporary protective status for millions of undocumented immigrants, additional resources for law enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, and requires certain undocumented immigrants pass a criminal background check as they register to temporarily stay in the country.  Although the executive action does not provide more protections for parents of DREAMers, Norton praised the President for family solidifying action that challenges Republicans to use their new majority to finish the job with permanent legislation.  “The President’s family stabilizing executive actions continue the tradition of American presidents of both parties, most recently Presidents Bush and Reagan in the 1980s and 1990s, who moved to stabilize families when Congress had not.  No one who has been paying attention in recent years can believe that the House, as presently constituted, will take up immigration reform.  The President could not in good conscience leave millions of families and children of the millions of hardworking, taxpaying immigrants in the shadows of the economy even though they are willing and ready to pay the price and take the steps toward citizenship.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-28th-annual-adoption-day-celebration-saturday,"Norton to Speak at 28th Annual Adoption Day Celebration, Saturday",2014-11-21,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will speak at the 2014 Annual Adoption Day Celebration tomorrow, Saturday, November 22, around 10:40 a.m. at the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW.  The annual event celebrates the adoptions of children in the District of Columbia and features remarks from social workers, local officials, and adopted children.  At the event, a D.C. Superior Court judge will announce the new last name for each child as they are received by their new parents.  Last year, Norton offered remarks to 29 adoptees and their new parents and families.  This year, the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency says there are still about 100 children in the District waiting to be adopted.  Norton is hopeful for these children, and commends the efforts of social workers, courts, agencies and non-profit organizations that continue to work to bring families together in the District and nationwide. “The faith and hope of these children and their parents are inspiring,” Norton said.  “These children have managed to maintain a positive outlook, even though some have remained in our foster care system for years before being adopted.  Celebrations like these remind the public that there are children who patiently wait for parents, and that there are children across the nation, and right here in the District, who want to grow up loved and raise families of their own one day.” National Adoption Day takes place the last Saturday before Thanksgiving each year.  Visit the official site for more information.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-s-final-113th-congress-recommendation-for-dc-district-court-judge,"Nortons Final 113th Congress Recommendation for D.C. District Court Judge, Amit Mehta, Confirmed by Senate Judiciary Committee",2014-11-20,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton’s recommendation for judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, her last to President Obama for this Congress, Amit Mehta, was confirmed today by the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Mehta, who would be the first Asian Pacific American judge on the court, was recommended by the Congresswoman to President Obama.  Mehta is currently a partner in the law firm Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, where he has been recognized by several legal publications for his exemplary work, including Super Lawyers, The National Law Journal, and Benchmark Litigation. “I will work hard to get Amit Mehta confirmed as district court judge during the lame-duck session,” Norton said.  “Our recommendations have been so highly qualified that they have been nominated by the President.  We are now going for a clean sweep – all nominated, all confirmed.  Given Amit Mehta’s exceptional qualifications, only the clock can stop us now. Mehta is a graduate of Georgetown University, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and the University of Virginia School of Law, Order of the Coif.  He clerked for Judge Susan Graber, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  After clerking, Mr. Mehta worked at Zuckerman Spaeder as an associate for three years, and then worked for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) for five years.  At PDS, he represented indigent criminal defendants in trials, appeals and administrative proceedings.  He later rejoined Zuckerman Spaeder, where he has represented companies and individuals in a broad range of federal criminal matters, including bribery, political corruption, mail and wire fraud, export control and sanctions violations, and environmental crimes.  He also has represented plaintiffs and defendants in federal civil matters, including antitrust and a Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement action.  In a pro bono capacity, he has devoted more than 450 hours since 2010 to post-conviction proceedings for an individual convicted of murder.  He is also vice president of the board of directors of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project.  Mehta was born in India and moved with his family to the U.S. at the age of one. President Obama, like President Clinton, granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend candidates for federal district court judges and other important federal law enforcement officials in the District.  The Congresswoman recommended Mehta from a number of candidates screened by her Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, chaired by Pauline Schneider, a special counsel at Ballard Spahr LLP and a former president of the D.C. Bar. President Obama has nominated and the Senate has confirmed all nine of Norton’s other recommendations for district court judges – Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amy Berman Jackson, James E. Boasberg, Rudolph Contreras, Beryl A. Howell, Casey Cooper, Tanya Chutkan, Randolph Moss, and Robert Wilkins, who was the first of Norton’s recommendations to President Obama for a vacancy on the district court.  He is her first judicial recommendation to be promoted to the U.S. Court of Appeals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-congratulates-chaffetz-new-oversight-and-government-reform,"Norton Congratulates Chaffetz, New Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman",2014-11-19,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today released a statement congratulating Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on becoming the committee’s chairman. “I congratulate Rep. Chaffetz on his new chairmanship, and I look forward to meeting with him and introducing him to the mayor-elect of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser.  The new chairman has already visited the ranking member’s district, and considering the committee’s jurisdiction over D.C. matters, I will shortly invite him to visit the District, which is even closer.  The committee’s major concerns have always been national issues, but some D.C. matters that require committee consideration arise every year.  Since I have been in Congress, the chairmen of this committee have adopted a tradition of respecting D.C.’s right to self-government, consistent with their own support of federalism and local control.  I have every reason to believe and hope that tradition will continue under Chairman-elect Chaffetz.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/following-last-weekend-s-dc-statehood-strategy-summit-norton-to-speak-on,"Following Last Weekends D.C. Statehood Strategy Summit, Norton to Speak on D.C. Statehood at Progressive Roundtable on Capitol Hill, Tomorrow",2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will take advantage of another opportunity to carry the District of Columbia statehood message by speaking at the November Progressive Roundtable hosted by Progressive Democrats of America tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19, at 1:15 p.m. on Capitol Hill, Cannon House Office Building, room 121.  Last weekend, Norton opened the D.C. Statehood Strategy Summit hosted by the D.C. Statehood Coalition.  The Summit was the first official gathering of D.C. statehood activists since September’s historic Senate hearing on D.C. statehood, the first congressional hearing on D.C. statehood in more than two decades. “D.C. statehood moved considerably during the 113th Congress, particularly with the first-ever Senate statehood hearing,” Norton said.  “D.C. statehood, of course, is a progressive issue, but with the first Senate hearing on statehood it has moved onto the congressional agenda.  The importance of statehood has become ever more apparent.  To take a recent issue, I stood with a bipartisan group whose states have moved on marijuana reform without federal government or congressional interference, although marijuana is still classified as a dangerous substance under federal drug laws.  However, D.C. faces threats to overturn our marijuana legalization initiative, approved by two-thirds of the voters.  There are only two differences between the states that have reformed and D.C.  They are states, and we are a city subject to congressional interference and pay more federal taxes than residents of any state.  Can it be any wonder that D.C. is insisting on becoming the 51st state?  We hope that tomorrow’s roundtable will shed more light on our common ground and further build the progressive coalition for D.C. statehood.” In September, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the D.C. statehood bill, the New Columbia Admission Act (H.R. 292/S. 132), sponsored by Norton and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), the chairman of the committee.  The bill has a record number of House and Senate cosponsors. Norton got the only House vote on statehood, in 1993, not long after being elected to Congress.  Almost two-thirds of the Democrats and one Republican voted for the bill, giving it a strong start, but the Democrats lost the House majority in the next Congress.  Since that vote, Norton was able to get the D.C. House Voting Rights Act through the House in 2007 and the Senate in 2009, which would have given D.C. a voting House member had it not been derailed by a National Rifle Association-backed amendment that would have wiped out D.C.’s gun safety laws. Other Members of Congress will be at the Progressive Roundtable talking about issues such as a fracking ban on public lands, preserving Social Security and Medicare, the U.S. Ebola response, a Wall Street tax, and more.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-dc-area-high-schools-service-academy-nights-tonight,"Norton to Speak at D.C. Area High Schools Service Academy Nights, Tonight and Tomorrow",2014-11-18,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will continue aggressive outreach to recruit students for Service Academy nominations from her office at Eastern Senior High School (1700 East Capitol Street NE) tonight, November 18, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and at Bell Multicultural High School (3101 16th Street NW) tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Each year, Norton’s office reviews applications from District of Columbia students and makes selections recommended by her Service Academy Selection Board for the four academies: the U.S. Military, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Naval Academies.  The application process for the 2015 nominations began in the summer and was due to end on November 3, but was extended to November 17 to allow applicants two extra weeks to submit.  During her visits, Norton will offer students advice and information about their submissions, and remind students that even if they are not selected this year, they have an opportunity to apply each year until they are 23 years old.  The event is geared to grades 8-11 to interest the students in the Academies and to encourage them to get the background they need to apply.  Students are encouraged to start prepping for the Academies in grades 9 and 10.  The application process begins the summer of their senior year, with nominations from the Congresswoman in the fall and Academy appointments in the winter and spring.  The Service Academies are tuition-free.  Appointees receive room, board, medical, dental, a monthly stipend, and they graduate as commissioned officers. “The advantages these academies offer to young people are immeasurable,” Norton said.  “The nomination process is competitive, but that shouldn’t discourage students from submitting their application or working with my office in the future.  Nominees from D.C. who were selected to attend a Service Academy have received a top-tier education and gone on to serve and do great things.” Norton’s Service Academy Selection Board will review submissions over the next few weeks. Norton, who oversees of the nomination process, holds a Service Academy College Fair in the District each year during the summer to provide information about the academies, and hosts a celebration for those selected for admission into the Service Academies after nominations end in the spring.  This year, Norton held her annual Service Academy College Fair at her alma mater, Dunbar High School, to recruit future applicants to the service academies and to present her 2014 nominees to the service academies.  Anthony Bertram Clay, Jr., McKinley Tech High School alumnus, who graduated that spring from the U.S. Naval Academy, was the featured speaker.  He spoke about his experience transitioning from a D.C. high school to a physically and academically rigorous service academy. Some of Norton’s previous appointees have been Esmeraldy Arce, a 2009 Norton appointee, Wilson Senior High School, U.S Merchant Marine Academy; U.S. Navy Lieutenant James Billings, a 2005 Norton appointee, Wilson High School, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate; and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officer James Rimensnyder, a 2000 Norton appointee, Wilson High School and the U.S. Naval Academy graduate.  D.C. is home to two 4-star Admirals and the first African American graduate of the Naval Academy. Visit Norton’s website for more information about Service Academy nominations.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/following-new-dhs-report-on-september-white-house-breach-norton-calls,"Following New DHS Report on September White House Breach, Norton Calls for Immediate Top-To-Bottom Review of Secret Service",2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following yesterday’s release of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) investigation into the Secret Service’s response to the White House breach by Omar Gonzalez, Norton called for an immediate top-to-bottom review of the Secret Service that focuses on “internal and seriously flawed systemic problems” with the agency.  The DHS report, released yesterday, pointed out numerous security lapses, including malfunctioning radios and alarm systems, and unprepared agents. “The DHS report went well beyond the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the Secret Service in exposing that much more went wrong than we knew on the fateful night when Omar Gonzalez jumped the White House fence and made his way well inside the residence,” Norton said.  “The men and women in the Secret Service are among the most courageous in the federal service and deserve our strong support.  However, the Secret Service itself deserves, and needs, much more than an investigation of one event.  This new DHS investigation that showed multiple points where Gonzalez could have been stopped reveals a need for a top-to-bottom investigation of the agency itself.  It would be the first in its history.  The Secret Service could not have so many mistakes in one night if there were not internal problems of organization, readiness, resources, and perhaps more.  The only issue laid to rest in this investigation is the proposition that security for the White House could be improved if public access is further limited.  This investigation is valuable for the insights it provides and the signal it gives for a full investigation of the Secret Service.  The outside panel has much more work to do. ” In October, Norton sent a letter to the White House Security Review Panel, asking them to use the “least restrictive means necessary to address security concerns” as they reassess security around the White House perimeter.  Norton said that it is possible to increase the height and change the shape of the fence while keeping it consistent with its historic authenticity, considering security concerns.  Following the breach by Omar Gonzalez of the White House fence and ahead of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the matter, Norton toured the White House perimeter to see for herself whether public access was being safeguarded or if the first target for fixing White House security was the public.  Following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Secret Service closed the entire area around the White House to public access.  However, Norton worked with the White House and the National Park Service to widen the road on E Street at the back of the White House, and maintained the access across E Street, a major thoroughfare for the city and the region. However, the road was summarily closed after 9/11 and the Secret Service has since found no way to reopen this road.  Norton said that Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House must remain open to pedestrian access.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/in-advance-of-statehood-summit-meeting-norton-to-take-to-house-floor,"In Advance of Statehood Summit Meeting, Norton to Take to House Floor Today for Special Order Hour to Defend D.C.s New Marijuana Law and Call for Action by Residents for Statehood",2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will get up to an hour on the House floor today, November 14th, around 2:00 p.m., to defend the District of Columbia’s democratically passed marijuana legalization initiative, Initiative 71, and to speak about the progress of District of Columbia statehood and how to keep the progress going as we move into the 114th Congress.  She asked for the time in light of the threats to overturn Initiative 71 and in advance of the D.C. statehood summit meeting with statehood activists on Saturday, November 15, at 10:00 a.m., where she will give opening remarks – the first gathering of its kind since September’s historic D.C. statehood hearing in the Senate.  Her special order can be live-streamed here. “Unlike the four states that recently legalized marijuana, we are preparing for the possibility of multiple attacks on marijuana legalization in the District, first in this session and then in the upcoming 114th Congress,” Norton said.  “If D.C. were a state like Oregon, which legalized cannabis in November as D.C. did, there would be no such meddling.  Yesterday’s bipartisan press conference showed that we have allies in the Congress.  In addition, yesterday evening, I spoke briefly on the floor about the racial justice effects of interference because 9 out of 10 arrested for marijuana possession are African Americans, although Blacks and Whites use marijuana at the same rates.  Today, I will also show the relationship of this interference to the city’s quest for statehood.” One Member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), has said he will try to overturn D.C.’s marijuana legalization initiative, but Norton said that current polls show that Harris, whose state has decriminalized marijuana, is not where the American people are.  The District may also have support in the Senate because 23 states have approved medical marijuana, 18 states have decriminalized marijuana, and 4 states have legalized marijuana.  Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) recently said that D.C. alone should decide whether to legalize marijuana without interference from Congress. The Statement of Administration Policy on the House’s fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill said the administration “strongly opposes” the bill’s prohibition on the District spending its own local funds to implement its local marijuana policies because it violates the “principle of States’ rights and of District home rule.” On November 4, Alaska, the District of Columbia, and Oregon all passed ballot initiatives legalizing the adult, recreational use of marijuana.  A February 2014 Pew Research Center poll found that 54% of Americans support marijuana legalization.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-give-opening-remarks-at-first-dc-statehood-gathering-since,"Norton to Give Opening Remarks at First D.C. Statehood Gathering Since Historic Senate Hearing, Saturday",2014-11-14,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will give opening remarks at a District of Columbia Statehood Strategy Summit tomorrow, Saturday, November 15, at 10:00 a.m. at First Congregational United Church (9445 G Street NW).  The Summit, hosted by the D.C. Statehood Coalition, is the first official gathering of D.C. statehood activists since September’s historic Senate hearing on D.C. statehood. “I am excited to join D.C. statehood activists tomorrow as they decide how to proceed following the unprecedented momentum from the first-ever Senate statehood hearing in more than two decades, in September, and the record number of House and Senate cosponsors on the bill, and how we can chart out next steps for 2015,” Norton said.  “These are the residents who are driving this movement – taking it from the grassroots all the way up to the national level.” In September, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the D.C. statehood bill, the New Columbia Admission Act (H.R. 292/S. 132), sponsored by Norton and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), the chairman of the committee. Norton got the only House vote on statehood, in 1993, not long after being elected to Congress.  Almost two-thirds of the Democrats and one Republican voted for the bill, giving it a strong start, but the Democrats lost the House majority in the next Congress.  Since that vote, Norton was able to get the D.C. House Voting Rights Act through the House in 2007 and the Senate in 2009, which would have given D.C. a voting House member had it not been derailed by a National Rifle Association-backed amendment that would have wiped out D.C.’s gun safety laws.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-calls-on-congress-to-let-dc-s-democratically-passed-initiative-71,Norton Calls on Congress to Let D.C.s Democratically Passed Initiative 71 Stand,2014-11-13,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released Norton’s written remarks ahead of a press conference she and other Members of Congress whose states have legalized or relaxed restrictions on marijuana and who support the District of Columbia’s right to legalize marijuana will host on how Congress should respond to local and state marijuana legalization nationwide, today, November 13, at 11:00 a.m. on Capitol Hill, House Press Gallery, Studio B.  The other hosts are Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jared Polis (D-CO) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). “As the District faces a threat to overturn Initiative 71, legalizing marijuana, we are heartened that, with the initiative, we find ourselves in good company with bipartisan support from my colleagues,” Norton said in her remarks.  “I ask the House and Senate to respect the D.C. marijuana legalization initiative that comes straight from the votes of two-thirds of the people of my district.  I ask House Members to remember your own states that have taken action on marijuana laws before you vote that the District should not have the same privilege.  I particularly ask the Senators who represent the 23 states that have passed medical marijuana laws, the 18 states that have passed marijuana decriminalization laws, and the 4 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana to give the District the benefit of the doubt that federal authorities have given your states, notwithstanding unchanged federal marijuana law.” Norton’s written remarks follow: As the District faces a threat to overturn Initiative 71, legalizing marijuana, we are heartened that, with the initiative, we find ourselves in good company with bipartisan support from my colleagues.  District residents who voted 2-to-1 to legalize cannabis are not the pioneers in relaxing law enforcement for using small amounts of cannabis in the United States.  I appreciate the leadership of my colleagues Representatives Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, which also approved a ballot initiative in November, Jared Polis of Colorado, the first state to legalize small amounts of marijuana, and Dana Rohrabacher of California, who is a recognized leader in the House of Representatives, and the leading Republican, in the reform of marijuana laws.  I also appreciate Senator Rand Paul’s recent response that the District should be able to legalize marijuana without federal interference. Along with state and local law enforcement officials, the U.S. Attorney General and our Justice Department have recognized that U.S. attorneys in Republican and Democratic administrations, for years, almost never prosecute possession of small amounts of marijuana.  Consequently, widespread use of marijuana, particularly by young people of every background, is and has long been, de facto legal.  Today, I join my colleagues in also seeking to lift the uncertainty for the states and the District of Columbia through passage of additional federal law, but, unlike the District, none of the states face possible nullification of their laws altogether by Congress.  Yet, the Justice Department testified at a hearing on the D.C. decriminalization law, passed by the D.C. Council, that the District would be treated like the states that have relaxed their marijuana laws.  However, the city has already faced an attempt by the House of Representatives to overturn its marijuana decriminalization law and now faces a threat to do the same with its legalization initiative.  The states that have relaxed their marijuana laws are in league with rapidly changing public opinion.  According to recent polls, 58 percent of the American people support full legalization.  Increasingly the public recognizes that marijuana smoking is ubiquitous, particularly among young people, who apparently tend to outgrow cannabis use, unlike alcohol, the drink of their elders, which is legal but devastates individuals and families for a lifetime. The District moved to legalize marijuana after two reputable organizations that conducted investigations found that while Blacks and Whites in the District use marijuana at comparable rates, it is the city’s African Americans who get conviction records, with 9 out of 10 convictions.  Decriminalization alone will not eliminate this outrageous disparity.  A “drug conviction” for possession of marijuana can sentence a young Black man, for example, to a lifetime of under- and unemployment.  The D.C. investigations performed by independent organizations have done a national service in pointing up a racial disparity that the data show is nationwide, which had not been highlighted until the District acted.  Whether intentional or the result of ordinary patterns of law enforcement, the stark racial difference in marijuana convictions is a national disgrace and an important racial justice issue. I ask the House and Senate to respect the D.C. marijuana legalization initiative that comes straight from the votes of two-thirds of the people of my district.  I ask House Members to remember your own states that have taken action on marijuana laws before you vote that the District should not have the same privilege.  I particularly ask the Senators who represent the 23 states that have passed medical marijuana laws, the 18 states that have passed marijuana decriminalization laws, and the 4 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana to give the District the benefit of the doubt that federal authorities have given your states, notwithstanding unchanged federal marijuana law.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-recommendation-for-dc-district-court-judge-randolph-moss,"Norton Recommendation for D.C. District Court Judge, Randolph Moss, Confirmed by the Senate Today",2014-11-13,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Randolph Moss, Norton’s recommendation for the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, was confirmed by the Senate today.  Norton recommended Moss to President Obama.  Moss, a graduate of Yale Law School and an editor of the Law Review, served in the Clinton administration as an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, and is the current chair of the Regulatory and Government Affairs Department at law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. “Randolph Moss is a seasoned lawyer with a stellar reputation as a litigator,” Norton said.  “His extensive experience, particularly in constitutional, administrative, and commercial litigation, will make him a valuable addition to our district court.” President Obama, like President Clinton, granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend candidates for federal district court judges and other important federal law enforcement officials in the District.  The Congresswoman recommended Moss from a number of candidates screened by her Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, chaired by Pauline Schneider, a special counsel at Ballard Spahr LLP and a former president of the D.C. Bar.  President Obama has nominated and the Senate has confirmed eight of Norton’s other recommendations for district court judges – Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amy Berman Jackson, James E. Boasberg, Rudolph Contreras, Beryl A. Howell, Casey Cooper, Tanya Chutkan, and Robert Wilkins, who was the first of Norton’s recommendations to President Obama.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-postal-worker-rally-to-stop-mail-processing-center,"Norton to Speak at Postal Worker Rally to Stop Mail-Processing Center Closures, Tomorrow",2014-11-13,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will be speaking at a rally entitled “Stop Delaying America’s Mail” tomorrow, Friday, November 14, at 9:30 a.m. in front of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza.  As part of a national day of action in 148 locations, 48 states and the District of Columbia, and ahead of a public meeting of the Postal Board of Governors, Norton will be calling on the USPS to halt the closure of 82 mail processing facilities, and to improve their mail standards so as to revitalize both customer satisfaction and revenue.  Last month, Norton sent a letter to USPS Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe that asks him to reconsider the decision to consolidate more than 80 mail-processing centers, which will delay First-Class and other mail delivery, and which was made without public input.  A recent USPS Inspector General report said the decision to consolidate several mail-processing centers across the United States should have included comment from the public, as required by law, but USPS moved forward without notice to the public.  “The USPS cannot continue shuttering the doors of its mail-processing centers without input from the public,” Norton said.  “I am fully aware that the Congress is a villain in this piece and that significant savings are expected.  However, it is foolish and counterproductive to try to fix the Postal Service at the expense of customers and workers.  USPS should maintain the current standard for First-Class mail and seek public input before making changes that impact the lives of millions of Americans.” In July, a USPS Inspector General report ranked the District of Columbia as the worst in the nation for late mail delivery, with more than two-thirds of residents and businesses receiving mail after 5:00 p.m.  In response, she held a Postal Service Roundtable in August to seek solutions in the District.  Among the recommendations were quarterly Postmaster meetings with ANCs; setting up an automated phone system for residents who want only routine information, such as operating hours, freeing up customer service representatives to handle substantive issues; creating the role of Postal Ombudsman to focus on recurring customer reports in order to detect patterns of service problems; and getting State Department assistance in processing passports using post office personnel. Norton has also written USPS previously regarding the need to eliminate late deliveries in the District and nationally, following the killing of Tyson Barnette, a USPS letter carrier killed while delivering mail at night in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  USPS itself has set a goal of having 95 percent of its city carriers complete mail deliveries before 5:00 p.m.  USPS also failed to conduct any feasibility studies to determine the impact of the consolidations on the 95 mail facilities that will be taking over the operations of the consolidated mail-processing centers or on consumers.  Besides increases in mail delivery times for First-Class mail, Norton cited new risks to letter carriers who will be delivering mail after dark and delays of medications and vote-by-mail ballots.  Congress requires the USPS, unlike any other federal agency or private organization, to prefund future retiree health benefits.  This mandate has caused major problems in the USPS’ ability to fund critical on-the-ground services.  Norton and other",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-introduces-bill-to-strip-nfl-of-its-tax-exempt-status-for-use-of,Norton Introduces Bill to Strip NFL of Its Tax-Exempt Status for Use of Washington Football Team Name,2014-11-12,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill that would amend section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit tax-exempt status for professional sports leagues that promote or allow a member club or franchise connected to that league to benefit from the Washington football team name, a derogatory term that has officially been found offensive.  Norton’s bill is the House companion bill to Senator Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) bill, S. 2884. “Continued use of the current team name and mascot is not only inconsistent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decision, but what’s even worse is that U.S. taxpayers must bear the burden of subsidizing a multibillion-dollar industry and its use of a racial slur for profit,” Norton said. Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair and one other commissioner indicated that they personally opposed the team name.  Last week, Norton urged the FCC to begin its own process to prevent on-air use of the team name, particularly considering the official hearings, as well as voluminous records and findings of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), that concluded that the name is derogatory. In June, the USPTO canceled the Washington football team’s trademark registration, but the decision has been appealed.  Last year, Norton was one of the nine original cosponsors of H.R. 1278, the Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act, which calls for the cancelation of existing trademark registrations containing the Washington football team’s name.  Norton also joined several of her colleagues in sending a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Washington football team sponsor FedEx, Washington football team owner Dan Snyder, and the 31 other NFL franchises, urging them to support a change to the Washington football team name. Norton’s introductory statement follows:   Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of a bill to prohibit tax-exempt status to professional sports leagues that promote the use of the term redskins   November 12, 2014   Ms. Norton. Mr. Speaker. Today, I introduce a bill that would amend section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit tax-exempt status to professional sports leagues that promote or allow a member club or franchise connected to that league to promote the use of the term “Redskins.”  Senator Maria Cantwell has introduced the same bill in the Senate. Currently, the National Football League (NFL) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) “business league” organization that receives tax-exempt status.  It is the nation’s largest sports franchise, generating almost $10 billion annually.  Unlike some of its counterparts—the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, for example—it operates as a nonprofit, which allows for its profits to trickle down to its 32 teams, including the Washington football team. Over 300 tribes and two million Native Americans, as well as religious and human rights organizations, have called on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Daniel Snyder, the Washington football team owner, to change the name of the Washington football team because the name and mascot insult native people.  In addition, several media outlets around the country no longer print or use the term “Redskins” when referring to the Washington football team because the term is offensive. On June 18, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in a landmark decision (Blackhorse v. Pro Football, Inc.), found the name used by the Washington football team to be disparaging to Native Americans and not deserving of trademark protection, and cancelled federal trademark protection for the “Redskins” trademarks.  While the ruling did not persuade Daniel Snyder or Roger Goodell to change the name, the ruling has the potential to affect the profits received from the sale of the team’s merchandise. American taxpayers have been subsidizing a multibillion dollar league that promotes what has now been officially found to be a racial slur for profitable gain.  Relief from taxes should no longer be given to a league that profits from the continued use of a racial slur, which degrades some Americans.  As an organization that enjoys tax-exempt benefits, the NFL also has a duty to American taxpayers to ensure that its teams are not promoting or benefitting from a racial slur.  This bill would revoke the tax-exempt status of professional sports leagues that choose to continue to use the offensive and derogatory term “Redskins.” Because this bill only revokes the tax-exempt status of leagues that promote the use of the term “Redskins,” it would not affect other leagues that fall under the same 501(c)(6) tax exemption such as the Professional Golfers Association and the National Hockey League. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-offers-help-to-new-members-and-seeks-their-help-on-dc-voting,Norton Offers Help to New Members and Seeks Their Help on D.C. Voting Rights and Home Rule,2014-11-12,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as the Members-elect came to Washington for orientation, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her letter to the 64 Members-elect of the House and Senate.  She offered useful information on everything from local government matters and parking to respect for the city’s local laws and its desire for statehood.  The letter said that the District of Columbia, home to more than 650,000 American citizens, is “the only city on the congressional agenda” and asked new Members to respect local decisions.  Norton said, “Washington, D.C. is a lovely, livable and hospitable city of more than 650,000 residents with world-class entertainment and sports, excellent public transportation and breathtaking monuments and sites that you and your constituents will enjoy.”  Norton also offered help with locating public and private services and cautioned members about the rules concerning parking tickets.  She previewed “Ask Me About DC,” which Norton sponsors annually in February with the D.C. Chamber of Congress to acquaint members with the city’s entertainment, sports attractions, tourist sites and other amenities. Norton’s full letter follows:       November 12, 2014     A GUIDE TO THE HELP AND INFORMATION MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE MAY NEED IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA   Dear Colleague:   Congratulations!  Your election to the House of Representatives or the Senate means that you will now spend more time in the District of Columbia than in your home district.  I write to offer a special welcome and my assistance as the only member of Congress who represents the people of the host city of the U.S. Congress and the federal government.  We also want you to have important information about the District of Columbia and its relationship to the federal government because uniquely local legislation addressed to this city will come before you as a Member of Congress.  DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSING Washington, D.C. is a lovely, livable and hospitable city of more than 650,000 residents with world-class entertainment and sports, excellent public transportation and breathtaking monuments and sites that you and your constituents will enjoy.  We invite you to consider living in one of our tree-lined neighborhoods along with many House and Senate members.  D.C. has it all -- houses, condos and apartments located in suburban-like neighborhoods, homes in Rock Creek Park and town houses in equally livable center-town communities, such as nearby Capitol Hill (where I live) and Georgetown.  If you are considering living in the District, feel free to contact me personally if you could use some advice or guidance.   I am a third-generation Washingtonian, but more important, I can put you in touch with the experts and help that you may need on housing, transportation and other city matters.  HELP WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SERVICES IN D.C. Whether or not you live in the city, you may encounter an occasional problem or have questions about the District’s public and private sectors, including help for yourself, your family or your constituents.  Many of your constituents will come to Washington to visit and consult with you. The District is one of the world’s major tourist destinations.  You will shortly receive an invitation to “Ask Me About DC,” a live exhibition featuring representatives from the District’s many sports, entertainment and other amenities, who will answer the questions of Members and staff about everything in the city.  A light buffet will be offered.  However, if you have a question related to city services, please be in touch with me or my office. For example, matters affecting transportation, trash, recycling, water, potholes and similar issues inevitably arise in every jurisdiction. My office has had members inquire concerning every kind of service, even help for a Member who needed a marriage license (we love those). Rather than trying to figure out where to turn in the city or the city government, please call me or my office first.  If you have a service need or problem, call me personally at 202-225-8050 or have your staff call my Chief of Staff. We will either pursue the matter on your behalf or put you in direct contact with a specific individual in the appropriate District agency who will be helpful until the matter is resolved. If for any reason a problem is not completely resolved, we will help with further follow through. PARKING TICKETS By federal statute, members of Congress may park their vehicles at any available curb space in the city when the vehicle is used by the members on official business, and the vehicle is displaying your congressional tag. The vehicle is exempt from tickets by statute if it is not parked in violation of a loading zone, rush hour, firehouse, or fire plug limitations. THE ONLY CITY ON THE CONGRESSIONAL AGENDA You will need to know a little something about the District of Columbia as a hometown jurisdiction because, regretfully, some of your time will be spent voting on purely local and justifiably unfamiliar matters, unrelated to federal affairs. I expect some of these matters to pass from the congressional agenda, allowing the city’s locally raised budget and legislation to become effective without the need for action by Congress. Restrictions on basic democracy are discredited holdovers from our history, but democratic local self-government is respected by every American and every jurisdiction today.  Polls show that Americans of every background believe D.C. residents should have equal representation and treatment in Congress. As you can imagine, although some District matters must now come to the floor for ratification under current law, D.C. residents, like your own constituents, feel strongly that local decisions must be respected, and residents object strongly to interference from Congress into D.C. law and local prerogatives. Like every large city, the District has more poverty and crime than suburban communities, but this city is dominated by a majority, diverse middle class.  Analysts, congressional leaders, and residents alike agree that the District of Columbia has had great success in attracting residents and businesses.  The city government has been well managed for years and has the largest surplus of any U.S. jurisdiction. You will find the people of the District to be dedicated and accomplished Americans. TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION Residents pay $12, 000 per capita annually in federal income taxes, more than any other state. They are the only American citizens who pay federal taxes but do not have full representation in the House and none in the Senate (I have the full vote in committees, I am ranking member of a subcommittee, and I have all the privileges as a member of the House, except the vote on final passage of legislation). The District is one of the world’s most beautiful and pleasant cities.  Cabinet Members, agency heads and officials, many members of the House and Senate and major news media figures live in our neighborhoods with other citizens.  If you have not decided on a permanent congressional residence, I hope you will consider this city.  However, whether as a hometown community, or the city where you do your most important work, you will find D.C. officials, residents, and businesses ready to help you enjoy the city, and my office and I are at your disposal.   Sincerely,                                      Eleanor Holmes Norton",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-other-members-to-hold-a-bipartisan-press-conference-on-marijuana,"Norton, Other Members to Hold a Bipartisan Press Conference on Marijuana Legalization, Thursday",2014-11-12,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton and other Members of Congress whose states have legalized or relaxed restrictions on marijuana and who support the District of Columbia’s right to legalize marijuana will host a press conference on how Congress should respond to local and state marijuana legalization nationwide, tomorrow, Thursday November 13, at 11:00 a.m. on Capitol Hill, Studio B, House Press Gallery.  The other hosts are Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Jared Polis (D-CO) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA).  Norton welcomed their support, all of whom have issues with the treatment of their states’ marijuana laws by Congress, but do whose jurisdictions do not face the possibility of congressional meddling like the District. “I am pleased to stand with my colleagues in a bipartisan response to threats we are already receiving to overturn the will of District of Columbia voters,” Norton said.  “Recent polling shows that 54 percent of people nationwide support marijuana legalization.  The D.C. marijuana legalization ballot initiative, approved by two-thirds of voters, is in line with the majority of Americans.  Even when opinions differ on the underlying issue of marijuana legalization, there is no debate that local laws in this country are for local jurisdictions.” One Member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), has said he will try to overturn D.C.’s marijuana legalization initiative, but Norton said that current polls signal that Harris, whose state has decriminalized marijuana, is not where the American people are.  The District may also have support in the Senate from the 18 states that decriminalized and the 4 states that legalized marijuana, as well as support from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who recently said that D.C. voters alone, not Congress, should decide whether to legalize marijuana.  The Statement of Administration Policy on the House’s fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill said the administration “strongly opposes” the bill’s prohibition on the District spending its own local funds to implement its local marijuana policies because it violates the “principle of States’ rights and of District home rule.” On November 4, Alaska, the District of Columbia, and Oregon all passed ballot initiatives legalizing the adult, recreational use of marijuana.  Twenty-three states have legalized medical marijuana, 18 states have decriminalized marijuana, and four states have legalized marijuana.  A February 2014 Pew Research Center poll found that 54% of Americans support marijuana legalization.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-offer-remarks-at-grand-opening-of-cathedral-commons-giant,"Norton to Offer Remarks at Grand Opening of Cathedral Commons Giant, Tonight",2014-11-06,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that Norton will speak at the Grand Opening Premiere Night Celebration for the new Cathedral Commons Giant tonight, November 6, at 6:00 p.m. at 3336 Wisconsin Avenue NW.  Norton said that the Cleveland Park neighborhood near the Cathedral has needed a new supermarket for years.  Just last year, Norton cut the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony of the NoMa Giant, located on the newly renovated H Street Corridor in northeast, and another at 7th and O Street NW, in 2010.  Norton said she is encouraged as Giant moves forward with plans to expand in the District, where grocery stores were scarce in some areas of D.C. as recently as six years ago, and is particularly grateful for the jobs the new Giant is bringing with the grand opening. “I know that Cleveland Park is grateful that Giant’s brand is now available in a brand new setting,” Norton said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-dc-marijuana-legalization-bolstered-by-new-legalization-laws,"Norton Says D.C. Marijuana Legalization Bolstered by New Legalization Laws in Oregon and Alaska, Prepares to Defend D.C. in Lame Duck",2014-11-05,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that the overwhelming victory of the District of Columbia’s marijuana legalization initiative (Initiative 71), together with the victories for marijuana legalization initiatives in Oregon and Alaska, gives her significant ammunition to defend D.C.’s initiative from congressional interference.  She also alerted D.C. residents that, given threats by Members of Congress to try to block legalization in D.C. even before yesterday’s vote, as well as congressional interference with D.C.’s 1998 initiative to legalize medical marijuana, residents need to be prepared to fight for their right to self-government. “The people spoke, overwhelmingly, with passage of our marijuana legalization initiative, but D.C. is not out of the woods just yet,” Norton said.  “Unfortunately, there are dedicated opponents of D.C.’s right to self-government and the city’s desire to end the unheard-of racial disparities in the enforcement of drug laws.  D.C. residents will not forget that Black residents, who are nearly half of our population, are eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than non-Blacks, and that 91 percent of all marijuana-related arrests are of Black residents, even though Blacks and Whites use marijuana at the same rate.  Together, we must get Congress out of our business and out of the way.”    Norton said that Congress could try to block the initiative through a resolution of disapproval during the congressional review period for the initiative, or a rider to a must-pass bill such as the D.C. appropriations bill.  The House-passed fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill contains a rider, sponsored by Representative Andy Harris (R-MD), that prohibits the District from using its local funds to decriminalize or legalize marijuana.  Norton kept the rider from being included in the Senate’s fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill or in the fiscal year 2015 short-term continuing resolution, which expires on December 11, and has been working to keep the rider out of the final spending bill. Harris, one of the main opponents of D.C.’s marijuana laws, told The Hill last week, ""If legalization passes, I will consider using all resources available to a member of Congress to stop this action…”  However, Norton said D.C. may have support in the Senate from states that have decriminalized and legalized marijuana, as well as support from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who yesterday told Roll Call that D.C. voters alone, not Congress, should decide whether to legalize marijuana.  Paul said, “I’m not for having the federal government get involved.  I really haven’t taken a stand on…the actual legalization…but I’m against the federal government telling them they can’t.”  Norton said one of the major reasons to allow the referendum to stand is a recent study that shows that almost all marijuana-related arrests in D.C. are of Black residents, even though Blacks and White use marijuana at the same rate. The Statement of Administration Policy on the House’s fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill said the administration “strongly opposes” the bill’s prohibition on the District spending its own local funds to implement its local marijuana policies because it violates the “principle of States’ rights and of District home rule.” Twenty-three states have legalized medical marijuana, 18 states have decriminalized marijuana, and four states have legalized marijuana.  A February 2014 Pew Research Center poll found that 54% of Americans support marijuana legalization.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-opponents-who-meddle-with-dc-s-new-marijuana-legalization,Norton Says Opponents Who Meddle with D.C.s New Marijuana Legalization Law Will Get the Fight of Their Lives,2014-11-04,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today reassured District of Columbia residents that she will defend the District’s marijuana legalization initiative (Initiative 71), expected to be overwhelmingly approved tonight, from any and all congressional attempts to block or overturn  it.  However, Norton warned residents that Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) is still looking for ways to undo the will of D.C. residents.  Harris told The Hill last week, ""If legalization passes, I will consider using all resources available to a member of Congress to stop this action…”  Norton said that Harris’ interference with a marijuana legalization initiative stimulated by racial injustice is particularly objectionable.  An American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation’s Capital study of the District, where about half the residents are Black, found that Blacks are eight times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than non-Blacks, and 91 percent of all marijuana-related arrests are of Black residents, even though  Blacks and Whites use marijuana at the same rate.  She said that no Member of Congress has the right to intervene with the city's right to self-government and its attempt to erase almost unheard-of racial disparities. “The people have spoken,” Norton said.  “And D.C. residents can rest assured that when a mandate comes directly from the people, they haven’t seen a fight like the fight I’m preparing to make against Rep. Andy Harris and any other Member of Congress who attempts to undo our democratic process.  Initiative 71 is not just about the legalization of marijuana; it addresses an intolerable racial disparity in our city that has crippled the life chances of countless African Americans and Hispanics.  We have not been able to conquer the racial disparity between Black and White marijuana convictions.  What we can do with legalization is to take away the instrument that causes this inequality.” Just today, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) told Roll Call that D.C. voters  alone, not Congress, should decide whether to legalize marijuana.  Paul said, “I’m not for having the federal government get involved.  I really haven’t taken a stand on…the actual legalization…but I’m against the federal government telling them they can’t.”  Norton said that Senator Paul’s statement was particularly noteworthy because it was unrelated to the underlying marijuana legalization issue, and was based entirely on the democratic principle of local self-government free from federal interference. In July, the District’s marijuana decriminalization bill took effect.  That same month, the House passed the fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill, which, under an amendment sponsored by Harris, would prohibit the District from spending its local funds to decriminalize or legalize marijuana.  Norton kept the amendment from being included in the Senate’s fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill or in the fiscal year 2015 short-term continuing resolution, which expires on December 11.  Since passage of the Harris amendment, Norton has been working with her allies in the Senate and outside Congress to keep the Harris amendment out of the final fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill.  The Obama Administration has called on Congress to reject the Harris amendment.  The Statement of Administration Policy on the House’s fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill said the administration “strongly opposes” the bill’s prohibition on the District spending its own local funds to implement its local marijuana policies because it violates the “principle of States’ rights and of District home rule.” Twenty-three states have legalized medical marijuana, 18 states have decriminalized marijuana, and two states have legalized marijuana.  A February 2014 Pew Research Center poll found that 54% of Americans support marijuana legalization.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-thanks-senator-rand-paul-for-supporting-dc-s-home-rule-right-to,Norton Thanks Senator Rand Paul for Supporting D.C.s Home-Rule Right to Decide on Marijuana Legalization,2014-11-04,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she very much appreciated Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) comments to Roll Call today about the District of Columbia’s marijuana legalization initiative, and said she will be sending him a note thanking him for his principled support for D.C. home rule.  District voters are expected to approve an initiative today legalizing marijuana.  Senator Paul, without taking a position on the legalization of marijuana, said that local jurisdictions should decide such local matters.  Paul said, “I’m not for having the federal government get involved.  I really haven’t taken a stand on…the actual legalization…but I’m against the federal government telling them they can’t.” “I am grateful for the comments that Senator Paul made today about the District’s right to decide for itself the marijuana legalization initiative that the people put on the ballot,” Norton said.  “I am not surprised by the Senator’s support.  Ever since he was elected to the Senate, I have regarded him as a potential ally for the notion that the federal government should not interfere with the democratic positions of any local jurisdiction.  In fact, the federal government does not interfere with the laws of the states, territories, or localities, except for the District of Columbia.  As Senator Paul has traveled the country speaking in detail about his views, I have grown even more encouraged.  There can be no doubt that what the Senator has been saying is often consistent with our views that the federal government should not interfere with D.C.’s local affairs.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/as-native-american-heritage-month-begins-norton-says-fcc-should-begin,"As Native American Heritage Month Begins, Norton Says FCC Should Begin Proceedings to Ban Use of Washington Football Team on Broadcast TV and Radio",2014-11-03,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, which began on Saturday, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cannot ignore the official conclusion that the Washington football team’s name is derogatory, as found by the federal agency charged to make the decision, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  She said that the FCC, after appropriate hearings, should use its precedent in deciding whether the use of the derogatory name by broadcast television and radio stations can continue.  Earlier this month, the FCC announced that it is considering banning the on-air use of the team name by broadcasters.  Last month, George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf III filed a petition with the FCC to prevent the renewal of a federal broadcast license to a local radio station that continues to use the team name.  Banzhaf’s petition says the team name violates the FCC regulations against hate speech and indecency.  In September, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said that he would not use the team name personally because it was derogatory, making him the second member of the commission to speak out about the team name.  If the FCC finds the team name to be derogatory, all on-air broadcasters could be fined for the use of the name.  Norton, a congressional leader in the effort to compel a name change, also recently announced that she will introduce the House companion bill to Senator Cantwell’s bill to strip the National Football League (NFL) of its tax exempt status as long as it continues to promote the current name of the Washington football team.  Norton said there is no better time for the FCC to lead on this issue than Native American Heritage Month. “The FCC cannot stand by, particularly after there has been an official finding that our hometown team name is derogatory,” Norton said.  “As football hits its high point during this month when we also commemorate Native American Heritage Month, we should also move forward with the process necessary to get this racial slur off the air.” In June, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled the Washington football team’s trademark registration.  Last year, Norton was one of the nine original cosponsors of H.R. 1278, the Non-Disparagement of Native American Persons or Peoples in Trademark Registration Act, which calls for the cancelation of existing trademark registrations containing the Washington football team’s name.  Norton also joined several of her colleagues in sending a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Washington football team sponsor FedEx, Washington football team owner Dan Snyder, and the 31 other NFL franchises, urging them to support a change to the Washington football team name.  Native American Heritage Month, celebrated across the nation every November, recognizes the significant cultural and economic contributions Native Americans have made to the establishment and growth of the United States.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-leads-house-floor-tour-for-anacostia-high-school-students,"Norton Leads House Floor Tour for Anacostia High School Students, Encourages Schools and Community Groups to Sign-Up for Tours",2014-11-03,2014,2014-11,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on Thursday led a special tour of the House Floor for 50 Anacostia High School students.  Large groups of visitors and residents, including students, can only visit the House Floor with a Member of Congress present, making visits rare.  Following a briefing about what takes place on the House Floor, especially for District of Columbia bills, the students visited the Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. statues in Statuary Hall; D.C.’s Frederick Douglass statue, placed there after Congress passed Norton’s bill in 2012 to allow a D.C. statue in the Capitol, the first jurisdiction not yet a state to have its own statue; the Sojourner Truth statue; and other statues.  Norton then brought the group to the House Floor, where Norton spoke about her legislation that brought D.C.’s Frederick Douglass statue to the Capitol after years of rebuffs by opponents of D.C. statehood, as well as the importance of the House Floor as it relates to the city. “The tour exposed students to the place where the business of the District occurs, often against our will,” Norton said.  “I encourage District residents to take advantage of this great opportunity to tour the House Floor of the people’s house by contacting my district office.” Tours are now held on a regular basis for D.C. public, charter and private schools, as well as citizen groups and clubs.  For more information and to sign up for a tour, call Norton’s district office at (202) 408-9041. In 2012, Norton got her bill passed that treats D.C. like the 50 states by bringing a statue of Frederick Douglass representing the District to the Capitol.  D.C. is now the only jurisdiction that is not yet a state to have a statue there, along with the 50 states.  House and Senate Republican and Democratic leadership sponsored the unveiling ceremony for D.C.’s Douglass statue, with Vice President Joe Biden and members of the Douglass family joining Norton and others to speak at the ceremony.  Douglass was known as an abolitionist and an international human rights icon, but he also served in D.C. posts and was a champion for equal citizenship for D.C. residents.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-asks-capitol-police-board-to-meet-with-religious-organizations,Norton Asks Capitol Police Board to Meet with Religious Organizations and the Community on Changing Road Races to Sundays,2014-10-31,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released a letter Norton sent Wednesday to Paul Irving, House Sergeant at Arms and head of the Capitol Police Board, asking the Capitol Police Board to reconsider a recent decision to change road races to Sundays.  Norton said that constituents, including the Downtown Cluster of Congregations and road race organizers, have reached out to her office with “concerns about this change in policy, the lack of community involvement in the decision, and the potential impacts the change will have on the surrounding community.”  While the U.S. Capitol Police enforce the regulations, it is the Capitol Police Board that develops the regulations.  Norton believes the Capitol Police Board should have called a meeting with the community before making such a decision that affects their daily lives, particularly the impact of Sunday races on the religious community, which commutes to their respective houses of worship on Sunday mornings.  She also cited complications that may arise with the planning of annual races, including the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon in March. “The routes, timing, and days of many events have been worked out over a number of years and have involved community participation with the goal of minimizing disruptions to D.C. residents and various other stakeholders, including the D.C. government,” Norton said in her letter.  “However, the Saturday ban did not have similar participation by the community.” Norton’s letter follows:     October 29, 2014 The Honorable Paul D. Irving Sergeant at Arms U.S. House of Representatives Room H-124 Washington, DC 20510   Dear Mr. Irving: I understand that the recent update to U.S. Capitol Police regulations includes a ban on road races through U.S. Capitol Grounds on Saturdays.  Constituents, including the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, and road race organizers have reached out to my office with concerns about this change in policy, the lack of community involvement in the decision, and the potential impacts the change will have on the surrounding community.  My staff recently met with Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine and Terry Lynch, Executive Director of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, and while the U.S. Capitol Police enforces the regulations, it is the Capitol Police Board that issues the regulations. It is likely that a ban on Saturday road races will result in organizations seeking permits for Sunday road races.  Sunday races will directly interfere with D.C. residents attending religious services on Sundays and limit access to their congregations.  Sunday races will also impact the routines of local D.C. residents who have become accustomed to Saturday races.  In addition, a Saturday ban will disrupt the planning of those that have been hosting Saturday events, including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, which snakes through the U.S. Capitol grounds every March. The routes, timing, and days of many events have been worked out over a number of years and have involved community participation with the goal of minimizing disruptions to D.C. residents and various other stakeholders, including the D.C. government.  However, the Saturday ban did not have similar participation by the community. I am asking that the Capitol Police Board reconsider this ban at its next meeting and, at the suggestion of my constituents, grandfather in those special events that have taken place on Saturdays in recent years as well as pending permit applications for Saturday road races.  I would also appreciate it if a public meeting were held with affected D.C. residents, businesses, and organizations in advance of the next meeting of the Capitol Police Board.  I ask that this request be given full and fair consideration consistent with applicable law, rules, and regulations. Sincerely, Eleanor Holmes Norton cc:        Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers             Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate Andrew B. Willison U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-asks-nps-to-have-lottery-for-food-vendors-on-national-mall,Norton Asks NPS to Have Lottery for Food Vendors on National Mall,2014-10-31,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a letter Norton sent Wednesday to Robert Vogel, National Park Service (NPS) Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, asking him to consider a lottery system similar to the one that the District of Columbia uses for stationary vendors and food trucks on the National Mall.  This month, the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) will take over the lottery for stationary vendors on the streets parallel to the Mall, allotting 74 vending locations, from the Metropolitan Police Department.  For the first time ever, the lottery now includes food trucks.  Norton believes that NPS should use this same model to bring more food options to the Mall, particularly because the Mall has only one concessionaire who provides all of the food on the Mall.  Last month, Vogel participated in Norton’s National Mall Roundtable, where she suggested he consider a greater variety of food options to visitors, particularly the addition of food trucks. Vogel agreed to consider other food options when the agreement with the current concessionaire ends in 2015.  “Currently, the Mall has only one food concessionaire on the Mall,” Norton said in her letter.  “Allowing a limited number of regulated food trucks on the Mall or lunch fare brought from local restaurants would add immeasurably to the Mall experience.” Norton’s letter follows:   October 29, 2014   Robert Vogel Superintendent National Mall & Memorial Parks National Park Service 900 Ohio Drive SW Washington, DC 20024   Dear Superintendent Vogel,               I very much appreciate the work that the National Park Service (NPS) is doing to make the National Mall a more beautiful space.              I am following up on our National Mall Roundtable last month, where you were kind enough to participate.  We suggested you consider a greater variety of food options for visitors, including a system allowing the rich array of food truck vendors to participate.  Currently, the Mall has only one food concessionaire on the Mall.  You agreed to consider other food options when the agreement with the current concessionaire ends in 2015.  Allowing a limited number of regulated food trucks on the Mall or lunch fare brought from local restaurants would add immeasurably to the Mall experience.             The District of Columbia has always utilized a lottery system for stationary food and merchandise operators stationed on 74 locations on streets running parallel to the Mall.  Beginning this month, the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) will take over the lottery from the Metropolitan Police Department, and DCRA has decided to open up the lottery system to mobile food vendors.  I ask that you consider a similar lottery system for food vendors, particularly food trucks, to operate on the Mall, providing the diversity in food options that we discussed at the roundtable.             Thank you again for your very helpful participation in our roundtable.  I ask that you give full and fair consideration to this request consistent with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.  Thank you for your consideration.   Sincerely,                                                               Eleanor Holmes Norton",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-honored-with-presidential-citation-from-american-psychological,"Norton Honored With Presidential Citation from American Psychological Association, Second-Ever House Member to Receive Award",2014-10-31,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today received a Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association (APA).  Norton was awarded the Presidential Citation in recognition of her decades of human rights and congressional work, and for her sponsorship and cosponsorship of legislation that promotes human and civil rights, fair labor practices, affordable health care, and increased access to mental health care services.  The announcement of the award comes a week after Norton spoke at the opening of a new Unity Health Care center in southeast D.C. that will provide substance abuse treatment and mental health care to low-income residents.  In a recent letter, Norton was praised by the APA President, Nadine J. Kaslow, for cosponsoring legislation that would allow psychologists more autonomy in the practice of their profession and make them eligible for incentives that would enable simpler maintenance of electronic health records.  She was only the second House member to receive the APA’s Presidential Citation. “It was a special honor to receive the Presidential Citation from the American Psychological Association,” Norton said.  “I appreciate being recognized not only for my work in civil rights, but also for my support of mental health services, which are a vital part of our overall health care system.  The APA has been an important leader for the reforms needed to improve and expand mental health services and to fully integrate mental health services into the nation’s health care system.  I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the APA on this national priority.” The APA is the nation’s largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology, and the world's largest association of psychologists.  Their membership boasts nearly 130,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-letter-to-white-house-security-review-panel-asks-for-least,Norton Letter to White House Security Review Panel Asks for Least Restrictive Means in Addressing Security Concerns,2014-10-31,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a letter Norton sent today to the White House Security Review Panel, asking them to use the “least restrictive means necessary to address security concerns” as they reassess security around the White House perimeter.  Norton urged the panel, established by United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, to “keep Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House and the surrounding area, including Lafayette Park, Pennsylvania Avenue, 17th Street and 15th Street, accessible to the public as they are today.”  She also reinstated her call for a higher wrought-iron fence that is curved forward, a suggestion echoed by many security professionals, and called this investigation of White House security “indispensable and overdue.” “Considering what the Oversight and Government Reform Committee learned at our hearing on September 30, 2014, issues such as fence-jumping and investigating the firing of bullets near the White House were internal to the Secret Service and did not involve the general public,” Norton said in her letter.  “However, if you find during your investigation that certain physical changes are needed near the White House compound, such changes should be in keeping with current public access to the areas surrounding the White House and maintenance of the current views of this historic national landmark.” Norton said that it is possible to increase the height and change the shape of the fence while keeping it consistent with its historic authenticity, considering security concerns.  At an Oversight and Government Reform Committee (OGR) hearing in September, Norton asked U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, now resigned from her position, whether she had considered such a fence.  Pierson said she would consider Norton’s suggestion concerning the fence. Last month, following the breach by Omar Gonzalez of the White House fence and ahead of the OGR hearing on the matter, Norton toured the White House perimeter to see for herself whether public access was being safeguarded or if the first target for fixing White House security was the public.  Prior to her site visit, Norton sent a letter requesting a meeting with U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, who later phoned Norton.   Following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Secret Service closed the entire area around the White House to public access.  However, Norton worked with the White House and the National Park Service to widen the road on E Street at the back of the White House, and maintained the access across E Street, a major thoroughfare for the city and the region. However, the road was summarily closed after 9/11 and the Secret Service has since found no way to reopen this road.  Norton said that Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House must remain open to the public. Norton’s letter follows:   October 31, 2014 Members of White House Security Panel c/o The Honorable Jeh C. Johnson Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528   Dear Ms. Gray, Mr. Perrelli, Mr. Filip, and Mr. Hagin:   I commend your important work to safeguard the security of the White House compound.  As a senior Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which recently held hearings on the Secret Service, I write concerning the significant issue of public access to the area surrounding the White House, which I believe must be factored into your recommendations.  I also believe that further distancing visitors from the White House area would be met with skepticism and protest from Members of Congress.  All agree with the priority that must be given to ensuring that the President, First Family and other dignitaries are protected, but I want to make sure that this panel is cognizant of the importance of using the least restrictive means necessary to address security concerns.  After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, I worked with the White House and the National Park Service to maintain public access to the White House and surrounding area by widening E Street and keeping it accessible.  However, following September 11, 2001, access on E Street was closed to the public.  However, we worked with the White House to secure the opening of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to ensure public access.  It would be indefensible to close the entire perimeter around the White House to the public. Considering what the Oversight and Government Reform Committee learned at our hearing on September 30, 2014, issues such as fence-jumping and investigating the firing of bullets near the White House were internal to the Secret Service and did not involve the general public.  However, if you find during your investigation that certain physical changes are needed near the White House compound, such changes should be in keeping with current public access to the areas surrounding the White House and maintenance of the current views of this historic national landmark.  I ask that you keep Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House and the surrounding area, including Lafayette Park, Pennsylvania Avenue, 17th Street and 15th Street, accessible to the public as they are today.  These are First Amendment protected areas used by the public on a daily basis to both view the residence of the President and engage in their constitutional right to petition the government, and must be kept open for their continued daily use.  In addition, there appears to be need to prevent fence-jumping in particular, I ask that you take into consideration the suggestion of many security professionals to install a higher wrought-iron fence that is curved forward. During a period when there have been an increasing number of fence jumpers at the White House and of continuing threats from domestic and international terrorists against the President and our country, your investigation of the Secret Service to ensure that the agency performs at the highest level is indispensable and overdue.  I would ask that you be mindful as well of your responsibility to balance public access to areas such as the White House perimeter as a necessary ingredient of American life and democracy.  Sincerely, Eleanor Holmes Norton",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-read-monologue-in-our-war-play-at-arena-stage-saturday,"Norton to Read Monologue in Our War Play at Arena Stage, Saturday",2014-10-31,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that Norton will read a monologue in the play “Our War” tomorrow, Saturday, November 1, at 2:00 p.m. at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St SW. The play is hosted by the National Civil War Project, a national partnership between major theaters and universities to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  The play features a series of monologues from more than 20 writers.  The production, directed by Anita Maynard-Losh, has featured monologues delivered by prominent Washingtonians such as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray is also scheduled to perform on Saturday.  “Our War” is set to run at Arena Stage from October 21 - November 9.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-issues-suggestions-after-response-from-dc-hospitals-on-ebola,Norton Issues Suggestions After Response From D.C. Hospitals on Ebola Preparedness,2014-10-30,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today offered some steps District of Columbia hospitals should take to bolster their Ebola preparedness, following a response to a letter Norton sent to D.C. hospitals asking about their Ebola preparedness.  Norton said that she was pleased that the D.C. Department of Health had been proactive on Ebola since August and that the preparedness checklist she recommended showed that D.C. hospitals have achieved basic preparedness for Ebola.  The response, collected from the hospitals by the D.C. Hospital Association, said that all ten hospitals have basic preparedness procedures and equipment in place.  Their reply can be found here. The purpose of Norton’s inquiry to the hospitals was to get further assistance or resources from the federal government, if necessary.  Norton said that D.C. hospitals understand that Dulles is one of only five airports where travelers from West Africa can enter the United States.  She therefore is sending the following suggestions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as to the D.C. Hospital Association.  Norton asked CDC to elaborate on them and advise hospitals and clinics. All outpatient clinics, not just the emergency departments (ED), should be trained and equipped for Ebola patients.  Patients who report symptoms similar to Ebola can be easily identified, as they are often asked if they have been to West Africa recently.  Moreover, patients with symptoms should not be in a room with other patients. CDC should help health clinics provide staff with a thorough demonstration of treating a patient suspected of having Ebola.  Hospital personnel are now given trainings through online modules or in town hall settings where the staff can ask questions of professionals.  However, the problem that occurred in Dallas, Texas, for example, was that there were no demonstrations on how to properly suit up and protect yourself from infection when treating a patient with Ebola symptoms. Medical nurses and residents have complained to Norton’s office about getting inconsistent, incorrect or insufficient information.  Every hospital and clinic should have a preparedness team to provide correct, up-to-date information on treating and preventing Ebola transmission. Finally, the CDC should do video conference meetings with clinics across the country to ensure that frontline health care workers, ambulance personnel, and patients are trained in Ebola screening and isolation procedures.  Norton noted that millions of Americans get their health care at clinics, not only hospitals.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-survey-union-station-for-traffic-congestion-and-signage-today,"Norton to Survey Union Station for Traffic Congestion and Signage, Today",2014-10-30,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, will follow up on her recent roundtable on traffic congestion at Union Station by visiting to survey the traffic lanes as well as signage in front of Union Station today, Thursday, October 30, at 5:00 p.m.  Norton will speak to the residents and drivers while there, as well as with Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) Vice President Nzinga Baker.  Today’s site visit, during rush hour, will allow the Congresswoman to assess the situation first-hand and to speak with those affected by Union Station congestion, and to hear their thoughts on how to reduce traffic congestion.  Earlier this month, Norton held a roundtable, entitled “Solving Traffic Congestion at Union Station and Preparing for a Makeover Inside,” to discuss a plan to resolve traffic congestion, plans for development at Union Station and short-term and long-term goals for improvements. “Today’s fact-finding will offer insight into implementable recommendations from the roundtable and to see first-hand whether congestion has improved,” Norton said. In addition, following the roundtable, Norton sent a letter to Bob Vogel, National Park Service (NPS) Superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Beverly K. Swaim-Staley, President & CEO of Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC), and Joe Press of Union Station Investco, asking them to consider a switch in the lanes passenger vehicles are permitted to use to put them closer to Union Station.  Norton said it has proved difficult for District of Columbia residents and visitors arriving at Union Station by passenger vehicle to rush out of their vehicles and cross multiple lanes of traffic in time to catch buses or trains, given the current lane designations.  In her letter, Norton asks that USRC, Union Station Investco, and NPS sit down together and consider an agreement that could achieve a switch in the vehicles permitted in each lane, so that cabs would continue to use the first lane, passenger vehicles the second lane, and tour buses and any additional passenger vehicles would use the third lane.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-announces-new-bill-that-rewards-federal-government-contractors,Norton Announces New Bill that Rewards Federal Government Contractors for Fair Labor Practices,2014-10-29,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today announced that, when Congress reconvenes, she will introduce a bill that directs federal agencies to give preferential points to federal government vendors and contractors based on their labor practices.  Points would be given to vendors and contractors that pay their employees a living wage with benefits without passing on additional costs to the federal government, as well as for permitting workers to unionize.  Norton said preferential points will help level the playing field and encourage private contractors and concessionaires to treat their workforce with the dignity they deserve. “The federal government, through contracts, funds approximately two million jobs that pay less than a livable wage,” Norton said.  “The federal contracting system should not be contributing to growing income inequality.  My bill will not only afford federal government contract workers a decent wage, but the federal government would see significant savings in benefits, such as food stamps it now offers to supplement the income of these low-wage workers.  Not standing in the way of federal contractor employees, who often seek to unionize, would allow wages to become a private matter for bargaining between the contractor and its employees.  It is time for the federal government to lead on issues of fairness to workers, not be part of the problem.” Norton’s bill builds upon the traditional point system used in federal government procurement that rates vendors, contractors and concessionaires with points that are routinely given for various tasks or issues connected to the contract.  President Obama has already taken the first important step through his executive order to raise the minimum wage of federal contract workers to $10.10 per hour.  In July, just before she introduced the Restore Opportunity, Strengthen, and Improve the Economy (ROSIE) Act, Norton spoke at a rally with hundreds of federal contract workers from Change to Win in front of Union Station.  The ROSIE Act incentivizes federal government contractors to support collective bargaining, pay living wages and benefits, to stop wage theft, and avoid paying CEOs excessive salaries.  Norton has called on the President to put the ROSIE Act into an EO.  This is her second bill on this issue and is specifically geared toward the federal sector. Hundreds of workers employed by federal contractors and concessionaires at various federally owned buildings in the District of Columbia and across the country have engaged in legal strikes to draw attention to their low wages and poor benefits.  Among the services federal contract workers provide for the federal government include retail, food, custodial and security service, as well as many in manufacturing.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/underemployed-part-time-and-unemployed-workers-to-participate-in-norton,"Underemployed, Part-Time, and Unemployed Workers to Participate in Nortons Roundtable, Tonight",2014-10-29,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D-DC) roundtable, “An Urgent Mission: Finding Jobs for Unemployed D.C. Residents,” tonight will feature a unique discussion on not only unemployed workers, but on employed District of Columbia residents who are earning thousands of dollars less than they did before the Great Recession; on formerly full-time employees, working part-time for the first time; and on others for whom the Great Recession has left them with a new definition of employment or, worse, unemployed.  The District of Columbia has a 7.6 percent unemployment rate, down from 11.9 percent in December 2009, the height of the recession, but the national unemployment rate is 5.9 percent.  Norton said residents are still bearing the brunt of the Great Recession, even though the economy is on the rise, as reports show 52 straight months of private sector job growth and more than 2.4 million jobs added in the past twelve months alone.  This will be Norton’s last roundtable of the 113th Congress, and will feature unemployment experts and focus on residents who will share their personal stories about taking the brunt of the Great Recession, often being left unemployed or underemployed.  The discussion will also touch on those who went to college looking for a job, only to become young victims of the Great Recession. Residents are encouraged to attend the roundtable to share their stories or simply to learn what can be done about today’s unemployment and underemployment climate.  WHO: -Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton -Experts on unemployment -District residents WHEN: TONIGHT, October 29, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 412 Press/Media should RSVP to jonathan.amar@mail.house.gov. The official flyer for this event can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-negotiations-between-gsa-and-dc-move-st-elizabeths-toward,Norton Says Negotiations Between GSA and D.C. Move St. Elizabeths Toward DHS HQ Completion,2014-10-28,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – After hearing that the General Services Administration (GSA) has entered into formal negotiations with the District of Columbia government regarding property located at 49 L Street SE, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said the project is moving further toward the goal of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) consolidation at St. Elizabeths and of disposing of vacant, underutilized federal properties.  The proposal from GSA involves an exchange of GSA’s building and land at 49 L Street SE for construction services to be performed by the District of Columbia adjacent to St. Elizabeths campus on Martin Luther King Avenue SE.  The District plans to make various enhancements to the streetscape of Martin Luther King Avenue, including restriping of roads, constructing sidewalks and crosswalks, and expanding the roadway.  In return, the District would own 49 L Street SE in fee simple with full rights and ownership over the property. “This exchange takes GSA further with work necessary to complete the DHS headquarters,” Norton said.  “In the process of moving a DHS priority, GSA has found a way to dispose of the long-underutilized 49 L Street SE by exchanging it for construction services from the District.” Norton participated in multiple hearings of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s (OGR) Government Operations Subcommittee in which she criticized GSA for leaving vacant the large property located at 49 L Street SE, near where Norton has already led the development of the Yards at the Capitol Riverfront.  Following a 2013 OGR hearing, GSA had announced that it would sell the property. In September, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released a report recommending that Congress fully fund the President’s fiscal year 2015 budget request of $323 million for the consolidation and that Congress and the Administration work together to facilitate consolidation.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-attend-funeral-service-for-ben-bradlee-tomorrow,"Norton to Attend Funeral Service for Ben Bradlee, Tomorrow",2014-10-28,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will attend the funeral service for Benjamin C. Bradlee, the Washington Post’s most distinguished editor, tomorrow, October 29, 11:00 a.m. at the National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW.  Bradlee spent twenty-six years at the Washington Post, beginning in 1965, and saw the paper through such historic events as the Watergate scandal and the Pentagon Papers.  Bradlee went on to win a Public Service award for the Watergate coverage.  Norton said he will be remembered for his unwavering commitment to the First Amendment and for his lifelong mission to ensure that the American government was accountable and transparent to its people. Last week, upon learning of Bradlee’s death, Norton issued a statement calling him “fearless,” saying how he “defined an era of reporting that gave birth to investigative journalism as we now know it.”  Norton sends condolences to his wife, Sally Quinn, to his entire family, and to the countless people who he inspired, mentored, and loved. The service will be live-streamed on C-SPAN here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-host-unemployment-roundtable-with-experts-and-district,"Norton to Host Unemployment Roundtable with Experts and District Residents, Tomorrow",2014-10-28,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will host a roundtable, entitled “An Urgent Mission: Finding Jobs for Unemployed D.C. Residents,” tomorrow, Wednesday, October 29, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 412.  This will be Norton’s last roundtable of this Congress, and it will feature unemployment experts and focus on residents who have taken the brunt of the Great Recession in mid-career, now left unemployed; others who had always worked full time, now part time employees; some who went to college as they looked for a job, now young victims of the Great Recession; and others for whom work has always been elusive.  Residents are encouraged to attend the roundtable to share their stories or simply to learn what can be done about today’s unemployment and underemployment climate.  Residents who wish to share their personal experiences at the roundtable should contact Tristan Breaux (202-408-9041) or Christy Gamble (202-225-8050). WHO: -Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton -Experts on unemployment -District residents WHEN: TOMORROW, October 29, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 412 Press/Media should RSVP to jonathan.amar@mail.house.gov. The official flyer for this event can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-meet-with-nps-on-tennis-tournaments-at-carter-barron,Norton to Meet with NPS on Tennis Tournaments at Carter Barron,2014-10-28,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will attend the annual tennis tournament meeting with Tara Morrison, National Park Service (NPS) Superintendent of Rock Creek Park, Eleni A. Rossides, executive director of Washington Tennis and Education Foundation (WTEF), and community members, today, October 28, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Washington Ethical Society, 7750 16th Street NW, to discuss the financial audit of WTEF/Lagardere Unlimited.  In October 2012, Norton convened a meeting with Carter Barron residents, NPS, Park Police, Metropolitan Police Department, WTEF and Council Member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) to discuss various concerns that residents had about the annual tennis tournament, including concerns about parking, flooding, funding for youth programing, and the number of tournaments based on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  At this meeting, NPS agreed to have at least one annual meeting with the community before the tournament is held.  At that meeting, NPS agreed to give the Congresswoman an accounting of funds for the last 10 years to comply with the record of decision (ROD).  After reviewing what WTEF sent her, Norton realized that the information did not show the information required by the ROD, so she wrote a letter to WTEF asking that they send her the appropriate information.  There was another meeting held in June 2013 to discuss tennis tournament logistics such as parking, negative impacts on the park, number of tournaments, WTEF financial information, and the status of NPS-WTEF agreements.  In July of this year, Norton met with Morrison to discuss the WTEF financial audit and to review the agreements that NPS had entered into with WTEF. “I am looking forward to the annual NPS meeting, not only to continue rebuilding our relationship with WTEF, but to keep the entire process open to the community,” Norton said. “This will be an information-sharing meeting that is meant to keep all of the actors accountable.”  Just before Norton was elected, some members of Congress funded the tennis facility without consulting with the District government or the Ward 4 community. When Norton came to Congress, she insisted on an EIS, and after the appropriate safeguards were put in place, the community appeared satisfied.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-40th-anniversary-of-dc-home-rule-event-tonight,"Norton to Speak at 40th Anniversary of D.C. Home Rule Event, Tonight",2014-10-28,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at a 40th Anniversary of Home Rule for the District event, tonight, October 28, 5:30 p.m. at the John A. Wilson Building Atrium, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.  Norton will be joined by former and current District of Columbia mayors and councilmembers as they reminisce about the challenges to achieve Home Rule for the District of Columbia, and rally together for the work that remains to be done to achieve budget and legislative autonomy, full voting rights in Congress, and, ultimately, statehood. WHO: -Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton -Current and former District mayors and councilmembers elected since Home Rule -District leaders and residents WHEN: TONIGHT, Tuesday, October 28, 5:30 WHERE: John A. Wilson Building Atrium, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Norton got the only House vote on statehood, in 1993, not long after being elected to Congress.  Almost two-thirds of the Democrats and one Republican voted for the bill, giving it a strong start, but the Democrats lost the House majority in the next Congress.  Since that vote, Norton was able to get the D.C. House Voting Rights Act through the House in 2007 and the Senate in 2009, which would have given D.C. a voting House member, had it not been derailed by a National Rifle Association-backed amendment that would have wiped out D.C.’s gun safety laws. Although the right to vote on the House floor in the Committee of the Whole, which Norton first won in the 103rd Congress, was approved by the federal courts, Norton proceeds without a vote to pass D.C. bills, successfully fight attacks on home rule, get D.C. rights traditionally afforded to states, expand home rule, get significant new support for D.C. statehood, and build unprecedented momentum for budget autonomy.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-and-107-year-old-dc-veteran-alyce-dixon-to-attend-private-meeting,"Norton and 107-Year Old D.C. Veteran, Alyce Dixon, to Attend Private Meeting with Obama, Today",2014-10-27,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will visit President Obama in the oval office today at 3:00 p.m. with a 107-Year Old D.C. Veteran, Alyce Lillian Dixon.  Norton and Dixon will be thanking the President for his support for veterans and for District of Columbia statehood. “Ms. Dixon has served the District of Columbia and the nation with great pride and dedication,” Norton said.  “She has seen the many faces and phases of our city; she has overcome gender stereotypes; she has valiantly served in a war; and she has supported the community and the people who surround her.  I appreciate this special meeting with the President for the oldest veteran, perhaps the oldest resident of our city.  I am very much proud of Alyce Dixon, a model citizen and veteran.”   Dixon was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1907, and she is currently a resident of the Community Living Center at the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center.  In her 20s, Dixon was the first secretary at the Lincoln Theatre on U Street in 1928, and later worked there as a cashier.  From 1940 to 1943, she worked as one of the first civilian employees at the Pentagon.  In April 1943, Dixon entered the military and became one of the first women to join WAC, the Women's Army Corps.  She was stationed in Fort Clark, Texas; Scotland; England; and France, where she played a critical role in postal service delivery during World War II.  Dixon later received the Good Conduct Medal for her service.  After her service in the military, Dixon returned to the Pentagon, where she served until June 1971, retiring after 35 years with the federal government.  Dixon has shown the same model of service that she brought to her work in the Army to her community.  She was a volunteer for twelve years at the Washington Hospital Center, and has also volunteered at Howard University Hospital.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-invites-district-residents-to-testify-at-unemployment-roundtable,"Norton Invites District Residents to Testify at Unemployment Roundtable, Wednesday",2014-10-27,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) invites District of Columbia residents to testify at Norton’s upcoming unemployment roundtable, entitled “An Urgent Mission: Finding Jobs for Unemployed D.C. Residents,” on Wednesday, October 29 at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 412.  This will be Norton’s last roundtable of this Congress, and it will feature unemployment experts and focus on residents who have taken the brunt of the Great Recession in mid-career, now left unemployed; others who had always worked full time, now part time employees; some who went to college as they looked for a job, now young victims of the Great Recession; and others for whom work has always been elusive.  Residents are encouraged to attend the roundtable to share their stories or simply to learn what can be done about today’s unemployment and underemployment climate. “Today’s unemployment and underemployment is very different from typical turn-downs or recessions that usually come from the retraction of a sector or two, like the dot com recession of the 1990s,” Norton said.  “The mortgage meltdown brought down the financial sector and created a global recession.  To find remedies, we look forward to hearing not only from experts but from residents caught through no fault of their own in the aftermath of the Great Recession.” Residents who wish to participate on the panel are urged to contact Tristan Breaux (202-408-9041) or Christy Gamble (202-225-8050) in Norton’s office. The flyer for this event can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-jobs-and-economic-development-bills-earn-her-lifetime-legacy,Norton Jobs and Economic Development Bills Earn Her Lifetime Legacy Award from D.C. Chamber,2014-10-27,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) received the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Legacy Award, a rare honor for a progressive Democrat, this weekend at the 2014 Chamber’s Choice Awards and Gala.  The annual event hosted hundreds of District leaders, decision-makers, and dignitaries.  She received the award as a result of four projects from her work providing jobs and business opportunities for her constituents.  The projects constitute the largest projects-in-progress in the District today: the D.C. Wharf, developing the Southwest Waterfront; The Yards, developing the Southeast Waterfront; the Old Post Office Building, developing the iconic, 114-year-old building into a first-rate luxury hotel and bringing $100 million in tax revenue to the District in its first ten years; and the new Department of Homeland Security Headquarters, which the Congresswoman has just gotten the funds to develop the Center Building to house the Secretary and DHS staff.  Another one of Norton’s redevelopment efforts, the redevelopment of the NOMA section of D.C., is nearly complete.  Additionally, Norton’s $5,000 homebuyer and business tax credits were instrumental in helping to preserve D.C.’s residential and business tax base in the wake of the control board period. “I very much appreciate the recognition by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce of my work in economic development,” Norton said.  “The highest profile is often given to my work on the city’s overarching priorities, for its citizenship rights and statehood.  However, my job is also to provide job and business opportunities, like every other Member of Congress.  I thank the Chamber for highlighting this work.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-says-she-will-protect-dc-from-state-department-efforts-to-take-dc,Norton Says She Will Protect D.C. from State Department Efforts to Take D.C.s Land at Walter Reed,2014-10-27,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that she will continue to protect the 67 acres on the eastern side at the former Walter Reed Army Hospital from State Department requests for up to 13 acres of this property.  The Department of Defense is currently in negotiations with the District of Columbia over the transfer of these 67 acres.  The State Department made the request for up to 13 acres from the District’s portion after Norton helped put language in the House passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 to authorize the transfer of the old Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Building (Building 54) and its attachments (Buildings 52, 53 and 3) from the inventory at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the District of Columbia Children’s National Medical Center (Children’s).  The buildings cannot be repurposed except as the state-of-the-art lab space for which Children’s would use it, with little change.  The State Department has plans to use the land other than as a laboratory, requiring demolition which could cost upwards of $20 million.  However, the State Department reportedly is seeking the land for free in violation of federal laws and rules. “The District of Columbia has held up its end of the bargain by working with the Department of Defense and the Department of State throughout the negotiation process, and I will hold up mine by ensuring that the Department of State is not allowed to succeed in a land grab on land set to go to the District,” Norton said.  “Children’s is a national children’s hospital that serves the entire national capital region and the nation.  The State Department does not have the resources being demanded of the District, but is trying to get a usable property to destroy it and then set it aside for decades.  If the rules that the District and other federal agencies are held to mean anything, the State Department cannot and will not succeed.” Norton was instrumental in ensuring that just over 66 acres of the 110 acre site would be occupied by the District of Columbia.  She also supports language in the NDAA to authorize the transfer of the old Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Building and its attachments to Children’s.  Children’s has agreed to continue working with the Local Redevelopment Authority on an economic impact analysis and traffic impact study and has pledged to work with the surrounding community.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-receive-dc-chamber-lifetime-legacy-award-tomorrow,"Norton to Receive D.C. Chamber Lifetime Legacy Award, Tomorrow",2014-10-24,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that Norton will receive the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Legacy Award, tomorrow, Saturday, October 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the 2014 Chamber’s Choice Awards and Gala at the Washington Marriot Marquis, 901 Massachusetts Avenue NE.  The annual event will host hundreds of District leaders, decision-makers, and dignitaries.  According to the Chamber, this award is presented to an individual who has contributed significantly to the progress and advancement of the District.  WHO: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton WHEN: TOMORROW, Saturday, October 25, 6:00 p.m. – late WHERE: Washington Marriot Marquis, 901 Massachusetts Avenue NE The D.C. Chamber is the largest chamber in the Washington region, serving the community for more than seventy-five years with a membership of more than 1,700 individuals and businesses.  The Chamber provides businesses with advocacy, educational programs, and networking opportunities.  Last year, Industrial Bank, a full-service community bank and D.C.’s sole minority-owned bank, received the Lifetime Legacy Award.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/echoing-house-majority-leader-norton-urges-congress-to-save-money-and,"Echoing House Majority Leader, Norton Urges Congress to Save Money and Time by Eliminating D.C. Paperwork",2014-10-23,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) proposal yesterday to save money and time by reducing the number of reports federal agencies must submit to Congress, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said today that Congress could save itself and the District of Columbia significant money and time by reducing the amount of paperwork the District must transmit to Congress.  In particular, “Congress should eliminate the costly, time-consuming and anachronistic congressional review process for D.C. legislation, which files paperwork here that Congress ignores,” Norton said.  “Although Congress unwittingly created a Kafkaesque congressional review process to disapprove of D.C. legislation in the Home Rule Act of 1973, Congress soon realized that the process did not work for itself and effectively abandoned it.  Yet the D.C. Council and Congress still must go through the bureaucratic and pro forma motions of a phantom review process.” Under the Home Rule Act, legislation passed by the D.C. Council, including minor bills like those naming buildings and streets, must be transmitted to Congress for a review period (30 legislative days for civil laws and 60 legislative days for criminal laws).  If a resolution of disapproval is not enacted into law during that period, the D.C. legislation takes effect.  Since 1973, more than 5,000 D.C. legislative acts have been transmitted to Congress, and only three resolutions to disapprove a D.C. bill have been enacted – in 1979, 1981, and 1991 – and two of those involved distinct federal interests.  Instead of using the congressional review period to overturn D.C. legislation, Congress has long used riders to the D.C. Appropriations bill to overturn D.C. legislation.  While Congress no longer uses the congressional review period to overturn D.C. legislation, Congress and the District each must devote significant resources to complying with the rules.  After the Council passes legislation, the bills, and all the accompanying committee reports, are transmitted to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.  The internal House and Senate administrative offices must process the bills, enter them into the congressional record, and then refer them to the committees with D.C. jurisdiction, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  The committees then review the bills.   The Council estimates that it could save 5,000 employee-hours and 160,000 sheets of paper per Council period if the review period were eliminated.  The review period, based on legislative, not calendar, days means, for example, that a 30-day period usually lasts three calendar months and often much longer because of congressional recesses.  In one instance, the review period for a bill that changed the word “handicap” to “disability” lasted nine months.  The Council has estimated that 50-65 percent of the bills it passes could be eliminated if the review period did not exist.  To ensure predictability, the Council often must pass the same legislation in three forms -- emergency (in effect for 90 days), temporary (in effect for 225 days) and permanent.  Moreover, the Council has to track the days Congress is in session for each piece of temporary and permanent legislation it passes to avoid gaps and to determine when the bills have taken effect.  President Obama’s fiscal year 2015 budget and the Senate’s fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill include Norton’s bill to eliminate the review period, the first budget and appropriations bill that would grant D.C. legislative autonomy.  Norton is working to get the provision included in the final fiscal year 2015 D.C. Appropriations bill. Majority Leader McCarthy’s proposal can be found here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-announces-extension-of-service-academy-deadline,Norton Announces Extension of Service Academy Deadline,2014-10-23,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced today that the application deadline for nominations to the Service Academies has been extended for two more weeks, from November 3 to November 17, for independent and public high school seniors in the District of Columbia. “We have received impressive responses from potential nominees, but would like to fill as many of our slots as possible and therefore have extended the deadline before moving forward with selections,” Norton said.  Each year, Norton nominates high school seniors from D.C. public and independent high schools to the four United States Service Academies: the United States Military Academy at West Point, the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs.  Successful candidates, 17 to 23 years of age, receive a tuition-free college education, room and board, health and dental coverage, plus a monthly stipend.  Academy graduates become commissioned officers with a five year active duty commitment. Norton, who oversees of the nomination process, holds a Service Academy College Fair in the District each year during the summer to provide information about the academies, and hosts a celebration for those selected for admission into the Service Academies after nominations end in the spring.  This year, Norton held her annual Service Academy College Fair at her alma mater, Dunbar High School, to recruit future applicants to the service academies and to present her 2014 nominees to the service academies.  Anthony Bertram Clay, Jr., McKinley Tech High School alumnus, who graduated that spring from the U.S. Naval Academy, was the featured speaker.  He spoke about his experience transitioning from a D.C. high school to a physically and academically rigorous service academy. Students who wish to submit within the new deadline for 2015 nominations are urged to view the fact sheet and application found here, and call or contact Cartwright Moore in Congresswoman Norton’s District Office at (202) 408-9041 for more information.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-calls-again-to-raise-height-change-structure-of-white-house-fence,"Norton Calls Again to Raise Height, Change Structure of White House Fence",2014-10-23,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following last night’s White House perimeter breach, the second breach in less than six weeks, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today called again for a higher wrought-iron fence, perhaps curved forward to prevent fence-jumping.  Norton said that it is possible to increase the height and change the shape of the fence, while keeping it consistent with its historic authenticity, considering security concerns.  At an Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in September, Norton asked U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, now resigned from her position, whether she had considered such a fence.  Pierson said she would consider Norton’s suggestion concerning the fence.  Norton called this suggestion “a common-sense solution to what seems to be an on-going problem” and reiterated her call to action.  “The Secret Service has learned from the most serious breach in its history that dogs need to be on the job on the ground where the fence-jumpers want to be, not at an off-site location,” Norton said.  “However, last night’s jumper scaled the fence when the President was in the residence.  When will the Department of Homeland Security or the Secret Service seek a historically authentic, secure wrought-iron fence to thwart fence jumpers?  The potential effectiveness of such measures is clear, unlike the overreach of keeping the public farther away from the White House.  These two steps – updating the fence and keeping dogs close to the fence – show that what we need is common sense and attentiveness to every security detail at the perimeter.” Last month, following the breach by Omar Gonzalez and ahead of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the matter, Norton toured the White House perimeter to see for herself whether public access was being safeguarded or if the first target for fixing White House security was the public.  Prior to her site visit, Norton sent a letter requesting a meeting with U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, who later phoned Norton.    Following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Secret Service closed the entire area around the White House to public access.  However, Norton worked with the White House and the National Park Service to widen the road on E Street at the back of the White House, and maintained the access across E Street, a major thoroughfare for the city and the region. However, the road was summarily closed after 9/11 and the Secret Service has since found no way to reopen this road.  Norton said that Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House must remain open to the public.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-former-senate-sergeant-at-arms-on-capitol-complex-security-don,Norton to Former Senate Sergeant-At-Arms on Capitol Complex Security: Dont Fence Us In,2014-10-23,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today called former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance W. Gainer’s comments in a Roll Call article yesterday about fencing off the Capitol Complex, “desperate, distasteful, and disrespectful.”   Gainer suggested adding a fence around the entire perimeter of the Capitol and “re-routing” traffic on Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue.  He called the public lanes on Independence and Constitution avenues an “attractive nuisance” and suggested a “tasteful fence” around the Capitol Complex. “I believe that most Members of Congress would agree that we do not want to be fenced in and our constituents don’t want to be fenced out,” Norton said.  “Calling the streets around the Capitol an ‘attractive nuisance’ is the same as calling the public a nuisance.  Gainer’s notion of a ‘tasteful fence’ would be inherently distasteful and disrespectful to D.C. residents and the millions who visit the Capitol each year.  Worse, closing the streets and enclosing the Capitol within a fence would send the message that a Congress that cannot keep itself safe without fencing itself in cannot keep the country safe.  If security officials were actually suggesting gating the Congress from our constituents, they would signal that they have given up on state-of-the-art security and simply don’t know what to do.  It is instructive that Gainer never recommended such a proposal while he was seargent-at-arms. He is using the Canadian tragedy to re-float his earlier try at this same proposal. The Capitol Police, who guard the Capitol grounds outside as well as the inside of the Capitol, are fully equipped, have guns, and are well-trained.  Gainer’s comments are a slap in the face not only to our constituents, but also to the Capitol Police.” Norton says she is strongly committed to public safety and to keeping government and its First Amendment areas open to the public.  She said that she does not regard the two as inconsistent and does not believe 21st-century security officials do either.  Last month, following the White House breach by Omar Gonzalez and ahead of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the matter, Norton toured the White House perimeter to see for herself whether public access was being safeguarded or if the first target for fixing White House security was the public.  Prior to her site visit, Norton sent a letter requesting a meeting with then- U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, who later phoned Norton.   Following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Secret Service closed Pennsylvania Avenue at the front of the White House and E Street at the rear to public access.  However, Norton worked with the White House and the National Park Service to widen E Street at the back of the White House, and maintained the access across E Street, a major thoroughfare for the city and the region was rescued.  However, E Street was summarily closed after 9/11 and the Secret Service has since found no way to reopen this road.  Norton said that Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House must remain open to the public just as the Capitol Complex should.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-mourns-loss-of-benjamin-bradlee-father-of-investigative,"Norton Mourns Loss of Benjamin Bradlee, Father of Investigative Journalism",2014-10-22,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today offered condolences to the family of Benjamin C. Bradlee, the Washington Post’s most distinguished editor, and called him “the father of investigative journalism.”  Bradlee spent twenty-six years at the Washington Post, beginning in 1965, and saw the paper through such historic events as the Watergate scandal and the Pentagon Papers.  Bradlee went on to win a Public Service award for the Watergate coverage.  Norton commended his commitment to the First Amendment and to government accountability and transparency. “As editor of our hometown newspaper, Benjamin Bradlee defined an era of reporting that gave birth to investigative journalism as we now know it,” Norton said.  “He will be remembered for his fearless journalism, for building a team of pathbreaking journalists, and for giving them the freedom to do what seemed to be the impossible.  Bradlee, his publisher Katharine Graham, and his reporters lived among the powerful in Washington, but were completely undaunted by them, including the President.  Outside of the newsroom, Bradlee did not forget our community, raising millions of dollars for the District’s Children’s National Medical Center.  Nearly one year ago, Bradlee was awarded by President Obama the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, for his life’s work.  I send my condolences to his wife, Sally Quinn, to his entire family, and to the countless people who he inspired, mentored, and loved.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-host-community-discussion-with-lgbt-group-glov-to-discuss-enda,"Norton to Host Community Discussion with LGBT Group GLOV to Discuss ENDA, DOMA",2014-10-22,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will host a “Norton in Your Neighborhood” community conversation with Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) to discuss the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), the impact of recent rulings on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and other congressional matters tomorrow, October 23, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at The D.C. Center for the LGBT Community, 2000 14th Street NW.  Norton, former chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, will be providing a congressional update on LGBT rights, including the Department of Labor’s new directive that updates guidance on sex discrimination laws by including protections for claims of discrimination based on transgender status and gender identity for the first time in the United States.  Norton will also speak about the most recent favorable U.S. Supreme Court decisions, namely, the decision to decline to review federal appellate court rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans.  Norton has been a longtime advocate for fair treatment of LGBT residents in the District of Columbia, from defending against workplace discrimination and fighting for married same-sex couples’ right to receive federal benefits for their spouses.  The official flyer for this event can be found here. The Congresswoman encourages all D.C. community and civic organizations, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and other groups to sponsor a Norton in Your Neighborhood.  For more information, visit https://norton.house.gov or call Norton’s district office at (202) 408-9041.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://norton.house.gov//media-center/press-releases/norton-to-speak-at-ribbon-cutting-ceremony-of-southeast-dc-health-center,Norton to Speak at Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of Southeast D.C. Health Center,2014-10-22,2014,2014-10,Democrat,House,DC,Eleanor Norton,N000147,norton.house.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will give opening remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new health center today, October 22, around 12:30 p.m. at Community Connections, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.  The new health center, a result of a partnership between Unity Health Care and Community Connections, called “Healthy Connections,” will focus on providing mental health services and substance abuse treatment, as well as on closing the gap in primary and behavioral health care services.  Norton praised the two organizations for coming together to promote a healthier city.  “The Affordable Care Act gave those with weak insurance policies considerably greater access to mental health services,” Norton said.  “However, particularly for low-income residents, there are gaps in coverage that urgently need to be filled.  Unity and Community Connections are filling a prescription the city badly needs.” Unity Health Care is D.C.’s largest nonprofit health and social services organizations, serving more than 93,000 residents annually.  Community Connections, also a nonprofit, is the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health’s largest provider partner.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z