Norton Defeats Amendment to Sell Washington Aqueduct Land at Committee Markup, Will Continue to Fight It

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today got Representative Daniel Webster (R-FL) to withdraw his amendment to the House Water Resources Development Act of 2018 (WRDA) that would authorize the Secretary of the Army to sell Washington Aqueduct land to Sibley Memorial Hospital. Norton forcefully objected to Webster's amendment for violating federal rules on competition and for failing to consult with local and federal stakeholders, including her. The amendment would have authorized the Secretary to sell to Sibley "the real property of any parcel of land, constituting any number of acres, of the Washington Aqueduct property in the District of Columbia that is adjacent to" the hospital's property. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on which Norton and Webster serve, today marked up and passed WRDA.

"I am used to doing battle with Republicans on D.C.'s appropriations and on the House floor, but this time I had to do it overnight after this amendment was filed late yesterday and before it was even formally considered in committee," Norton said. "We accurately forecast the fight we were prepared to wage. There is a reason Congress insists on appropriate vetting—it is the only way to avoided unintended mistakes. Yet, Representative Webster, who has no connection to the District of Columbia, drafted his amendment without consultation with any federal or local officials, or even the Army Corps. Fortunately, this is not how our committee or the federal government operates. Directing the sale of federal land to a private entity without the required competitive bidding would have robbed the federal government of receiving full-market value. I will continue to fight this attempted earmark to ensure that this amendment does not return."