Media

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released a statement on the explanation she received from the National Zoo and the National Park Service (NPS) on the limited hours of the Zoo Loop Trail in Rock Creek Park in the District of Columbia. The Zoo Loop Trail, which reopened to the public two weekends ago, is only open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These limited hours prompted Norton to contact the zoo and NPS for an explanation. The zoo explained that the trail hours are tied to the zoo’s hours of operations to maintain accreditation with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, since the trail runs through the zoo’s secondary animal containment perimeter. NPS stated that all other trails in Rock Creek Park remain open from sunrise to sunset.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today condemned a bill introduced by Representative August Pfluger (R-TX) that would prohibit District of Columbia residents who are not citizens from voting in local D.C. elections. Last week, the D.C. Council passed a bill that would allow D.C. residents who are not citizens to vote in local elections by a vote of 12-1. The Council must vote on the bill a second time.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) praised President Biden for issuing pardons today for federal and District of Columbia offenses for simple possession of marijuana, but called on the Biden administration to end its support for the rider that prohibits D.C. from spending its local funds on commercializing recreational marijuana and to endorse giving D.C. the authority to grant clemency for crimes under D.C. laws. Currently, the president exercises the authority to grant clemency for D.C. crimes, though, until today, it had almost never been used in at least decades.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak tomorrow, October 12, 2022, at the celebration marking the completion of The Wharf, the neighborhood Norton’s 2012 legislation enabled to be developed on the Southwest Waterfront in the District of Columbia. One of Norton’s key priorities for decades has been the transfer of unused or underutilized federal land in D.C. to the D.C. government or the private sector to redevelop neighborhoods and generate tax revenue for D.C. Among other such transfers, Norton legislation enabled the development of The Yards, a neighborhood on the Southeast Waterfront.

​​​​​​​WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that she will introduce a bill to amend the recently enacted fiscal year 2023 continuing resolution (CR) to provide $50 million in emergency supplemental appropriations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) for humanitarian assistance to migrants. Norton and colleagues sent a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations requesting that the CR provide this $50 million, but it was not included in the introduced version of the CR. Norton and colleagues then filed an amendment to the CR at the Committee on Rules to provide this $50 million, but the amendment was not made in order. The CR only provides funding for the EFSP at the fiscal year 2022 rate of operations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today applauded the Department of the Interior (DOI) for requiring its law enforcement officers to use body cameras and for updating its use-of-force policy, but expressed disappointment that DOI made dashboard cameras optional. Norton, along with Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), has led the effort in Congress to require federal law enforcement officers to use body and dashboard cameras. Norton noted that the new DOI policies are particularly important for the District of Columbia because U.S. Park Police officers have both federal and D.C. police powers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today met with the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Colette Peters, to discuss BOP’s treatment of District of Columbia residents in BOP custody, including the bill Norton will introduce to require BOP to place D.C. residents serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies in BOP facilities within 250 miles of D.C. Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, individuals serving sentences for D.C. Code felonies are in BOP custody.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today expressed disappointment that the Senate last week effectively adjourned until November 14, 2022, without addressing the judicial vacancy crisis in the local District of Columbia courts. Currently, there are 14 vacancies out of 62 authorized judges on D.C.’s trial court, the Superior Court. There are two vacancies out of nine authorized judges on D.C.’s appeals court, the Court of Appeals.