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Norton to Meet with National Park Service Officials to Discuss Frequent Washington Monument Elevator Breakdowns

August 23, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that she will meet with National Park Service (NPS) officials tomorrow, Wednesday, August 24, at noon, concerning the ongoing 10-day shutdown of the Washington Monument elevator. Norton has been concerned about chronic Monument elevator shutdowns this summer and believes it is important for the public to know the reason. She had expected that after repairs to the Monument itself following the earthquake of 2011 there would be no more issues with the Monument or its lone elevator—but breakdowns have persisted and become more frequent. Not until recently did it become public that the entire elevator control panel needs to be replaced. Norton said that Congress bears much of the responsibility for the elevator’s problems, because a lack of funding probably delayed the replacement of the 20-year-old control panel. However, she is concerned that frequent closures of the Monument will discourage visits to the District and have an impact on the D.C. economy, considering that the Monument is the main draw for many of the millions of tourists who visit Washington each year.