Norton Elected as Ranking Member of Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Will Help Write Upcoming Surface Transportation Bill, Secures other Subcommittees for D.C. Priorities

Washington, D.C. – The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that Norton has been elected by her fellow Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to return as Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. The Committee is considered particularly important because it has one of the largest authorization bills in the Congress and impacts every congressional district. Norton's subcommittee is due to write the surface transportation authorization bill, the major authorization bill from the committee this year. The Congresswoman also has a special interest because of the subcommittee's jurisdiction over transit programs, particularly the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) rail and bus systems. Norton, along with regional House and Senate members, was briefed yesterday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) about the recent Metro accident that resulted in the death of one rider at the L'Enfant Plaza station last week and sent at least 86 riders to the hospital.

In anticipation of writing a surface transportation bill, Norton is already planning a roundtable on the upcoming bill. She is working on several priorities, including additional funds for transit; strengthening apprenticeship and job training programs; funding for major National Park Service roads and bridges, including the Memorial Bridge, which is now almost obsolete; and strengthening funding for programs that provide pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Norton is also focusing on funding alternatives for the Highway Trust Fund beyond the traditional gas tax, which has not been raised since 1993. The current surface transportation authorization is set to expire in May.

In addition, Norton also holds membership on three other subcommittees that she sought because of their relevance to the District—Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management; Water Resources and Environment; and Aviation. The Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee is particularly important because of the large number of federal properties and land in the District of Columbia as well as federal agencies housed in leased space in privately owned buildings, whose taxes are critical to the D.C. economy. Norton's work on this subcommittee has transformed entire neighborhoods. The Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee helped her pass her Anacostia Watershed Initiative in 2007. The Aviation Subcommittee is key because the Washington metropolitan region has three high-traffic airports that contribute significantly to the D.C. economy.