Norton Applauds Inclusion of D.C., with the 50 States, in Proposed Commission to Ease Transition from Armed Forces to Civilian Life

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today applauded the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith (D-WA), for including the District of Columbia, along with the 50 states, in an amendment he offered to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 to establish a Commission on Service to the Nation. The inclusion of the District in the amendment, which Smith introduced during his committee's markup of the bill, came without prompting from Norton. The Commission, among other tasks, would carry out a study of the effect of warfare on members of the Armed Forces and their families and communities, and would make recommendations to support the transition to civilian life of servicemembers.

"We have fought so hard for equal treatment for the District that for some of my colleagues, like Adam Smith, no prompting is necessary," said Norton. "I appreciate that Representative Smith saw including D.C. with the 50 states in this important legislation as the right thing to do. I thank Representative Smith for his support of the District and for his important and innovative legislation to support our servicemembers as they return from war."

Published: June 18, 2013