Norton Disappointed But Undaunted After U.S. Capitol Police Board Denies Capitol Grounds Sledding Waiver

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Capitol Police Board's letter denying her request for a waiver of the sledding ban on Capitol Grounds effective from March 5-8 in anticipation of a snowstorm hitting the Washington, D.C. area:

"I am deeply disappointed with the U.S. Capitol Police Board decision to refuse my request for a waiver of the sledding ban on Capitol Grounds, despite the spontaneous outpouring from residents, and even my colleagues in Congress, in favor of the waiver. Tomorrow is likely to bring the largest blanket of snow in years. The nation's capital is teeming with families and young children who are the latest generation to regard sledding on ‘America's front lawn' during our rare snowstorms as one of our oldest and best traditions. I will follow up with the Board urging them to direct officers, as they have for years now, not to enforce this arcane regulation during the four-day period following tomorrow's snowstorm. Because the Board did not enforce the sledding ban for many years, it is clearly within its power not to enforce it again during a four-day period.

"I am encouraged, however, that the Board, in its reply to my letter, said that it is continuing to review the regulations, including updates, as I requested in a prior letter. I have not asked for unfettered or unregulated sledding. Rather, I have requested reasonable regulation of sledding to replace the absolute ban. I do not believe that is too much to ask for the Capitol Grounds, which are used for walking dogs and other activities, in a city that has so few snowfalls that can accommodate sledding."