Norton Applauds Adoption of Provision to Permit Sledding on Capitol Grounds

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) thanked her good friend Representative Sam Farr (D-CA), a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, for his provision, passed by the committee, that urges non-enforcement of a law that prohibits sledding on Capitol Grounds. The provision was included in the report accompanying the House Appropriations Committee's Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016.

"I am grateful to one of my best friends in the Congress, Representative Sam Farr, for once again reaching out to help District of Columbia residents, who have no vote in the House," Norton said. "Sam offered to write the report language, and got it passed today by the committee. Without Sam's help, I would not have been able to get around the statute's language that bans sledding on Capitol Grounds. Sledding on Capitol Hill is one of the longest standing traditions in the District of Columbia, but the statute was used against us this year. I look forward to taking Sam with me next snowfall to officially lift the sledding ban for our kids and their families."

Instead of going through the long process of repealing a law in the House and Senate, Representative Farr's provision instructs the Capitol Police to ignore enforcement of the law prohibiting sledding on Capitol Grounds, in effect allowing sledding to continue. In February and March, Norton wrote to the U.S. Capitol Police Board to request that the ban on sledding be lifted. The sledding ban dates back to an 1876 federal statute and resulting regulations.