Norton Bills Bring Two Big Reasons for Celebration Monday (10/23/09)
Norton Bills Bring Two Big Reasons for Celebration Monday
October 23, 2009
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will kick off two events on Monday October 25 that flow from bills she helped get through the Congress, one for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where she broke ground last month and another for Safe Routes to School (SRTS). Norton, chair of the subcommittee with oversight over the mammoth DHS development will offer brief keynote remarks concerning her next step plans for the development of the Coast Guard building the first of three buildings and other construction planned for the DHS compound in Ward 8, the first federal construction in history in an area across the Anacostia River. GSA and nearly 250 construction industry sponsors will welcome over 750 registered attendees, including 120 disadvantaged businesses, over eighty 8a businesses, 289 small businesses and 229 other businesses at the General Services Administration (GSA) Industry Day for development of the Department of Homeland Security at 9:30 in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Atrium Hall. "This event will bring small businesses and large corporations alike to hear invaluable information at a time when disproportionate federal dollars are flowing into the city and region because of federal construction and rehabilitation stimulus from our subcommittee," Norton said, "I went for stimulus funds for DHS to try to beat back unemployment, the always lagging indicator, and get federal dollars on the streets fast. DHS construction will be creating jobs for residents for nearly a decade." Norton cited early success for District and other small businesses, who got 100 percent of the first small business contracts, 40 percent to D.C. minority businesses. This summer the $5 million demolition contract was set-aside for 8(a) competition. Speakers will highlight small business inclusion as prime and subcontractors, a prospectus overview, and development schedule highlights, and will offer networking opportunities for businesses of all sizes.
At 9 a.m. at Murch Elementary School, 4810 - 36th St. N.W., Norton also will join Jim Oberstar, Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in presenting to the school Principal Dawn Ellis the 2009 James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award on behalf of the National Center for Safe Routes to School for outstanding achievement in implementing the Safe Routes to School Program in the United States. "This program combines the best of all worlds from our committee," said Norton, a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, "transportation funds for needed improvements that at the same time encourage children and parents to engage in exercise, by providing safe passageway upgrades from home to school. I am very proud of the District for excelling so as to win this special national recognition." Norton, a sponsor of a pending bill for healthy diet and exercise to combat an obesity epidemic among children and adults, was an enthusiastic sponsor of the Safe Routes to School program. The James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award was named for Chairman Oberstar because of his leadership role in creating the program. The DC Safe Routes to School Program was funded in the SAFETEA-LU bill for 2005-2009 with almost $5 million in funds to improve the ability of elementary and middle school students to walk and bicycle to school safely. "However, the District jumped out ahead of the rest of the country by dedicating $4 million more in stimulus funding, to Safe Routes to School on top of the funds received from the highway and transit reauthorization bill," Norton said. The addition of these funds will go a long way towards improving quality of life for children and adults alike in our home town.