Norton Introduces Amendment for Study of Underground National Mall Parking and Flood Control

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, tried last night to get the Rules Committee to permit her to offer her amendment to the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA) on the floor today that would authorize a study of the feasibility of a facility beneath the National Mall for water management and flood control, combined with parking and visitor amenities. The amendment calls for a report on the underground facility, called the National Mall Underground. The report would provide recommendations and a cost estimate to construct and operate the facility. The appeal of the facility, brought to Norton by constituents, is that the cost would be paid by parking fees and it would aid in flood management, which has become a major issue in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and the 2006 flood that left portions of Federal Triangle and the National Mall underwater. Most of the amendments to WRRDA, including Norton's, were not made in order for floor consideration.

Published: October 23, 2013