Press Releases
July 22, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today introduced a bill which would remove the plaque and inscriptions bearing Francis Newlands' name from Chevy Chase Circle a federal park located in both the District of Columbia and in Maryland's 8th Congressional District, which Raskin represents. Newlands was a U.S. senator from Nevada, a conservationist and the founder of the Chevy Chase Land Company, which developed the Chevy Chase neighborhood. Newlands was also a segregationist and held racist views. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on the bill in 2022, where Norton testified that “Newlands does not deserve to be honored on federal land.”
July 21, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Committee on Appropriations marked up and passed the fiscal year 2026 (FY 26) Financial Services and General Government (FSSG) Appropriations bill tonight, which Norton said includes an outrageous and irresponsible number of anti-home rule riders. Republicans try to attach the riders to the annual D.C. spending bill to exert control over local D.C. matters, despite their positions as federal officials who do not represent D.C. residents. Significantly, the bill would halve funding for DCTAG, a program established by a 1999 Norton bill. DCTAG makes up the difference for D.C. residents between in-state and out-of-state tuition up to $10,000 at public institutions of higher education in the U.S.
July 21, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.–– Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced her District of Columbia Courts Home Rule Act today, which would give the D.C. Council authority over the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts. The D.C. Home Rule Act expressly prohibits D.C. from enacting any law with respect to any provision of the D.C. Code that relates to the jurisdiction and organization of the local D.C. courts. Congress can give D.C. this authority even before the District becomes the 51st state.
July 20, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Committee on Appropriations today released the text of its fiscal year 2026 (FY 26) Financial Services and General Government (FSSG) Appropriations bill, which Norton said includes an outrageous number of anti-home rule riders. Republicans try to attach the riders to the annual D.C. spending bill to exert control over local D.C. matters, despite their positions as federal officials who do not represent D.C. residents. Significantly, the bill would halve funding for DCTAG, a program established by a 1999 Norton bill. DCTAG makes up the difference for D.C. residents between in-state and out-of-state tuition up to $10,000 at public institutions of higher education in the U.S.
July 14, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced her bill to give the District of Columbia the authority to appoint all members of the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment (Board), except when the Board is performing functions regarding an application by a foreign mission with respect to a chancery. Under current law, in general, the Board consists of a representative of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the D.C. Zoning Commission, each of whom may be a federal official, and three mayoral appointees, subject to D.C. Council approval. The Board has no authority over federal property and Norton’s bill would not alter the Board’s authority.
July 7, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill today to remove the authority of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), a federal agency, over District of Columbia-owned property and private property in D.C. The bill would expand home rule for the District. This Congress, Norton has introduced two other land-use home-rule bills, one to give D.C. the authority to appoint all members of the D.C. Zoning Commission and another to remove the authority of the National Capital Planning Commission over D.C.-owned real property.
July 3, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that, as the nation approaches its 249th anniversary of declaring independence from Great Britain in part because of taxation without representation, the Senate must take the nation's founding slogan to heart and pass the District of Columbia statehood bill.
June 30, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced her bill to remove the authority of the federal National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) to review or approve the development of D.C.-owned real property.
June 25, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill to name the post office located at 3401 12th Street NE after musician and singer Chuck Brown, the “Godfather of Go-Go,” who holds particular significance to D.C. residents for creating and popularizing go-go music and for his support of D.C. statehood.
June 23, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As ranking member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today wrote the Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that it conduct a comprehensive study on the causes and effects of railway noise pollution. Additionally, Norton asked GAO to propose ways that the federal government can reduce the negative effects of railway noise pollution. The request is similar to a bill Norton reintroduced in April to require the GAO to submit recommendations to Congress on how to reduce train noise and vibrations near homes.