Notes from Congress

August 2004

Early Democratic Victories. I am writing a few days before boarding the train to the Boston convention with other local Democrats, fresh from three victories for our rights. First, although I have spoken at each convention, this time the national Democratic Party has given me a prime time position on Thursday evening when our standard bearer, John Kerry, speaks to accept the Democratic nomination. Making the Party’s prime time list on the best day of the convention is just about as good as it gets. More Americans will be tuned in Thursday, enhancing our chances of educating people about the denial of our rights.

Party Chair Terry McAuliffe moved on his promise made last winter of a major convention spot. Discussions with the Kerry campaign were central to the final decision for prime time on the best day.

Second, we got a bonus I requested. A voting rights video will introduce me at the convention.

Third, as vice-chair of the Platform Committee I was able to write D.C. language embracing both our present campaign for congressional voting rights and our ultimate goal for “equal rights to democratic self government,” which, of course, can only be achieved by statehood. We will use these early victories to encourage the Democratic Party and our candidates to continue to feature and press for our rights.

More Tuition Money. We have gotten the House to reauthorize the College Access Act with 50% more money! In pressing this issue, we had a lot to show for the first five years of the Act—a 30% increase in college attendance and population stability that has stemmed the loss of taxpayers. I argued that’s a mighty return on the federal dollar.

Appropriation Milestone. In July, we faced three of the worst D.C. appropriation attachments yet. Working hard before the floor debate, we beat them all back—attachments to repeal all D.C. gun laws, to ban gay marriage, and to preempt a pending Council bill to allow legal immigrants to vote here. Consequently, we had the quickest appropriation and the cleanest bill in many years. There were no new attachments!

Congress has developed an institutional memory of our fights over the years. Most know we will fiercely resist—and many have come to realize that fights over the smallest of the 13 appropriations don’t make much sense. For years, even the District’s improved finances and operations haven’t mattered when it came to riders. I hope improvements in the city are beginning to count.

Home Here for Homeland. It’s final and permanent—the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will remain in D.C. HR 4322 removed any discretion to relocate in Virginia or anywhere else. Headquarters here means billions of dollars to the D.C. economy that we cannot afford to lose. And it means jobs that residents would not get if the agency were in the suburbs. Worse, D.C. residents are far more likely to move to the suburbs if an agency is located there.

I argued that DHS should remain here in the already secure Naval Complex and that a major cabinet agency needs frequent and immediate access to Congress, the White House and other agencies. We won the initial round against Northern Virginia two years ago. Now written into law, the space at the Nebraska Avenue Naval Complex, which has been DHS’s temporary home, will become its permanent headquarters.

Civil Rights Resolution Passed. As a former chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), I decided to write a resolution commemorating the 40^th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act establishing the EEOC to administer the landmark federal job discrimination statute. Senator Kennedy sponsored the same bill and both houses passed it.

Missing D.C. Flag Up. If any flag should be flying at Union Station, D.C.’s should, because Union Station is located here. Curiously, every flag except D.C.’s has been flying there since the 1976 bicentennial. Former Shadow Representative John Capozzi and others noticed the omission and tried to get it fixed. I called National Capital Park Central Superintendent Vicky Keys to get it done in June. I urge constituents to be directly in touch when you see such federal omissions or issues—at 225.8050. Sign up for Norton E-News at www.norton.house.gov for more information.