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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation passed their Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act last week without amendments. The bill is co-lead by Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS) and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE). This bipartisan bill would equip the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with the necessary tools to protect consumers from fraud perpetrated by scammers in the interstate transportation of household goods. The bill was written to address a growing type of fraud involving entities that charge an up-front fee, pack and hold consumers’ household goods, then demand more funds to deliver or release the items. The companies involved have launched websites with fake 5-star reviews, and when negative reviews become prevalent, the scammers simply close the existing companies and open new ones, repeating the original scheme under a new FMCSA license. Norton and Ezell introduced the House companion bill in January.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a resolution in advance of Memorial Day recognizing District of Columbia servicemembers and veterans. The resolution calls for statehood for D.C. to ensure these servicemembers and veterans – and all District residents – enjoy the full rights of American democracy. D.C. residents have served in every war since the Revolutionary War, all without the full and equal rights that can come only with statehood.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that the two bills marked up and passed by the Committee on Oversight and Accountability today represent the continuation of paternalistic, undemocratic incursions by Congress on the democratically expressed will of more than 700,000 D.C. residents. A bill introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) would prohibit D.C. residents who are not citizens from voting in local D.C. elections, and a bill introduced by Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) would repeal parts of D.C.’s 2022 local police accountability and transparency law.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement upon learning of the passing of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). As a member of Congress serving the National Capital Region and a member or ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, where Norton also serves, during his entire congressional career, Connolly and Norton worked closely on issues that affected both their districts and the region.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After receiving conflicting information from officials regarding the use of ADS-B transponders, a type of transponder used to communicate GPS data and project aircraft trajectory, in helicopter flights in the National Capital Region (NCR), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) wrote Department of Transportation (DoT) Secretary Sean Duffy on Friday urging DoT to prohibit the use of helicopters for these flights in the NCR, except for the president, vice president, and in certain emergencies. A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter from the Army Aviation Brigade at Fort Belvoir and a passenger plane collided in D.C. airspace on January 29, killing 67 people. The helicopter was not using its ADS-B transponder when the collision occurred.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the two-month anniversary of Senate passage of a bill to correct an issue caused by the recent continuing resolution (CR) to cause a projected $1 billion shortfall to D.C.’s local budget through the end of the fiscal year, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) again urged the House to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Even after the District invoked a 2009 law that would allow it to increase its approved budget by up to 6%, D.C. is facing a projected $400 million shortfall by the end of the fiscal year because of the CR – despite having the funds, which are raised from its own local revenue and include zero federal dollars.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill to establish an inspector general for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB), which manages the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a retirement plan available to federal employees and members of the armed services.