Eleanor Norton

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Ensuring Child Health Coverage Compensation in Divorce Act of 2022. This bill would require that when a court directs a non-custodial parent (including a stepparent) to provide health insurance for a child, the other parent can get reimbursed directly from the insurer for any out-of-pocket medical expenses for the child incurred by such parent, regardless of the source of insurance. In a divorce, one parent is typically court-ordered to provide health insurance for the child to prevent the child from being uninsured. However, the other parent may pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses for the child that are reimbursable by the insurer. Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, group health insurers are required to directly reimburse a parent who pays for reimbursable out- of-pocket medical expenses when the other parent has been court-ordered to provide health insurance for the child. However, other health insurers are not required to directly reimburse the other parent. This bill would provide the same requirements for all health insurers to ensure that the parent who pays for the out-of-pocket medical expenses is reimbursed. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today I introduce a bill that would direct the Secretary of Transportation to submit a report to Congress containing recommendations on how to reduce helicopter noise in the District of Columbia. Such recommendations would include altitude, number of flights, flight paths, time of day of flights, types of aircraft, operating procedures and pilot training. The Secretary would be required to consult with any federal agencies or departments that fly helicopters in D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department, any medical helicopter operators that routinely fly in D.C. and any other operator that routinely flies a helicopter in D.C. The report would be due to Congress no later than 180 days after the enactment of the bill. Even though D.C. has the most restricted airspace in the country, I hear from D.C. residents almost daily about the negative impact of helicopter noise on their lives. The noise can harm health and quality of life, and helicopters can even harm the structural integrity of homes. While I recognize the need for helicopters in D.C., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Congress must do more to mitigate the harm to D.C. residents. In 2019, I led members of the National Capital Region (NCR) in requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study helicopter noise in the NCR. Last year, GAO issued its report. GAO found that there had been nearly 90,000 helicopter flights in the NCR from 2017 to 2019. GAO recommended that the FAA develop a mechanism to exchange helicopter noise information with operators in the NCR. The FAA indicated that it would implement such a mechanism. In March 2021, I introduced the Washington, DC Area Helicopter Noise Information Exchange Act of 2021, which would require the FAA to implement such a mechanism. In April 2022, I introduced the Reducing Helicopter Noise in the District of Columbia Act, which would require all helicopters in D.C. to fly at the maximum altitude permitted by the FAA in D.C., with limited exceptions. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that would name the post office at 400 Southern Avenue SE in the District of Columbia as the ``District of Columbia Servicemembers and Veterans Post Office.'' While it is important that our country honor all servicemembers and veterans, our country owes a special debt of gratitude to D.C. servicemembers and veterans, who serve or have served their country without voting representation in Congress or full local self- government. It is remarkable that they serve a country that denies them basic democratic rights--rights they have often been sent overseas to defend. D.C. residents have served in every war since the Revolutionary War. There are approximately 30,000 veterans who live in D.C., and almost 200,000 D.C. residents have served in the military since World War I. This bill is one way to recognize their service and sacrifice. Six hundred thirty-five D.C. residents were casualties of World War I, a casualty figure greater than that of three different States during that war. Three thousand five hundred seventy-five D.C. residents were casualties of World War II, a casualty figure greater than that of four different States during that war. Five hundred forty-seven D.C. residents were casualties of the Korean war, a casualty figure greater than that of eight different States during that war. Two hundred forty- three D.C. residents were casualties of the Vietnam war, a casualty figure greater than that of 10 different States during that war. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in celebrating Department of Public Works Employee Appreciation Day by recognizing the District of Columbia Department of Public Works. The D.C. Department of Public Works provides a number of services, including trash and recycling collection, snow removal, parking enforcement, fleet management and supporting events and demonstrations. The D.C. Department of Public Works is home to a workforce of 1,500 employees. Many of these employees are D.C. residents, and their hard work and services contribute to the upkeep, maintenance, productivity and growth of D.C. Today, D.C. residents are joining together to show our appreciation for our D.C. Department of Public Works employees. Madam Speaker, again, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in celebrating Department of Public Works Employee Appreciation Day by thanking the D.C. Department of Public Works for its tireless work.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Ensuring Full Participation in the Census Act of 2022, which would prohibit the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) from including questions on the decennial census about citizenship, nationality or immigration status. This bill is essential because, prior to the 2020 census, the Department of Justice wrote to the Bureau requesting that it ``reinstate on the 2020 [c]ensus questionnaire a question regarding citizenship.'' From 1970-2000, this question was sent to only approximately 16 percent of the population during any decennial census through the so-called ``long-form.'' However, the long-form system was dropped from the census and replaced with the current American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is sent to approximately 3 million people annually on a rotational basis, and allows the Bureau to get the necessary information on citizenship. Asking questions about citizenship status to every person through the decennial census has not been done in almost 70 years because it would discourage people, largely minorities, who are already undercounted in the census, from participating in the census. The ACS was created to make the decennial census simpler for people to complete, which facilitates higher and more accurate participation rates and preserving privacy. Fortunately, after a protracted legal and political process, the citizenship question was not included on the 2020 census. However, this legislation is necessary to ensure it cannot be asked on a future census. The representative sampling provided by the ACS is more than sufficient to determine citizenship statistics in the U.S. We must ensure that all individuals are counted in the decennial census, thereby providing accurate allocation of federal funds and representation in Congress, and not reduce participation by asking a question that is already asked elsewhere. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Promoting Healthier Lifelong Improvements in Food and Exercise Act of 2022, or the LIFE Act, which would authorize a national initiative to combat a major health problem in the United States that cannot be remedied through the health care system alone. Increasing rates of overweight and obesity are found among Americans of every age, race and major demographic group, and threaten the health of Americans like no other condition or disease. In fact, the key to eliminating many of the most serious health conditions is not only to reduce overweight and obesity, but also to encourage exercise of all kinds. This bill would provide $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a coordinated national effort to reverse increasingly sedentary lifestyles and diets that are high in fat and sugar. Specifically, this bill would require the CDC to establish the first national strategy to combat the overweight and obesity epidemic. The CDC, either directly or through grants to states and local organizations, would train health professionals to recognize the signs of overweight and obesity early in order to educate Americans about proper nutrition and regular exercise; conduct public education campaigns about how to recognize and address overweight and obesity; and develop intervention strategies for use in everyday life, such as in the workplace and community settings. The National Survey of Children's Health found that 16.2 percent of children ages 10 to 17 had obesity in 2019-2020. The CDC National Center for Health Statistics reports that Type 2 Diabetes, once considered an adult disease, is now widespread among children. The rising cost of the health care system, including insurance premiums, reflects this epidemic. Today, chronic diseases, many of which are caused or exacerbated by overweight and obesity, account for 70 percent of all deaths in the U.S. and 75 percent of U.S. medical care costs, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. A focused national health initiative would provide guidance to state and local governments to engage in similar programs. A national focus could lead to changes, such as greater participation in high school physical education classes, which dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 23 percent in 2020, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Changes in nutrition are equally critical because more than half of all young people consume too much fat, a factor in the increase of overweight youth. Data also show an increase in unhealthy eating habits for adults and no change in physical activity. To cite an example of the need for action, the District of Columbia is one of the fittest cities in the U.S., according to a 2019 study by the American College of Sports Medicine, yet, even here, obesity continues to be a severe problem. Approximately one-fifth of District residents are considered obese. Most of the obesity epidemic is exercise- and food-related. I urge support for this important bill to mobilize the country before entirely preventable health conditions, which often begin in childhood, overwhelm the Nation's health care system.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to introduce the District of Columbia Code Returning Citizens Coordination Act. I introduced a similar version of this bill earlier this year. This bill would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide information to the District of Columbia government on individuals convicted of felonies under D.C. law in BOP custody. Currently, BOP provides no information to D.C. on these individuals, even immediately before release, which inhibits reentry, increases recidivism and harms public safety. Federal law requires BOP to incarcerate individuals convicted of felonies under D.C. law. There are currently 3,200 such individuals in BOP custody, and they are located in prisons throughout the United States. This unique custody arrangement creates several obstacles to successful reentry, including information sharing among agencies. BOP asserts that federal privacy laws prohibit it from providing any information to D.C. on these individuals, which prevents D.C. from having services ready for them when they return from prison. Yet, studies consistently show the importance of health care, housing, education, job training and substance use disorder treatment for successful reentry. This bill would require BOP to provide D.C. two types of information on each individual convicted of a D.C. Code felony in BOP custody. Every 90 days, BOP would provide the name, age, Federal Register Number, facility where housed and the scheduled release date. Upon D.C.'s request, BOP would provide D.C. the same information that BOP provides to the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA) on these individuals, such as their release plan. CSOSA is a federal agency that supervises individuals convicted of D.C. Code felonies on supervised release and parole. D.C. would be allowed to provide the biographical information only to counsel for the individuals, and to organizations that provide legal representation to individuals in criminal or post-conviction matters, or in matters related to reentry. D.C. would not be allowed to provide any of the other information, and D.C. law enforcement agencies would not have access to any of the information. The overwhelming majority of people in prison return home. I hope everyone agrees on the importance of successful reentry. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating two District of Columbia schools on being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as Green Ribbon Schools. For the past 11 years, the Department of Education has recognized schools for their sustainability practices. Since 2011, 11 schools in the District have been recognized as Green Ribbon Schools. This year, J.G. Whittier Elementary School and American University were selected as Green Ribbon Schools. J.G. Whittier Elementary School, located in Manor Park in Northwest D.C., was established in 1926 and serves 324 students in grades K-8. The school recently held a Sustainability Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Day, which allowed students to learn about sustainability and the effect that we have on the environment, as well as to engage in project-based activities connecting their learning. I applaud J.G. Whittier Elementary School for its recognition as a Green Ribbon School. Located in Spring Valley in Northwest D.C., American University helps students to learn, research and work to spark positive change in their neighborhood and the world. Established in 1893 by an Act of Congress, American University enrolls 14,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. American University has a proud history of sustainability, which includes becoming one of the first universities in the Nation to reach carbon neutrality, in 2018. I applaud American University for its recognition as a Green Ribbon School. Madam Speaker, again, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating J.G. Whittier Elementary School and American University for their recognition as Green Ribbon Schools.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Reducing the Effects of the Cyberattack on OPM Victims Emergency Response Act of 2022, or the RECOVER Act, which would require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to make permanent the free identity protection coverage that Congress required OPM to provide for 10 years to individuals whose Social Security Numbers were potentially compromised during the OPM data breaches. In 2015, OPM reported that the personally identifiable information of as many as 25.7 million current, former and prospective federal employees and contractors was stolen in two data breaches. I appreciate that Representative C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger is co-leading on this bill. After OPM announced that it would offer identity protection coverage of limited duration and value, Senator Ben Cardin and I introduced the RECOVER Act in July 2015, which would have provided affected individuals lifetime protection and at least $5 million in identity theft insurance. Congress subsequently passed a version of our bill as part of an appropriations bill, but limited the duration of the protection. Under current law, OPM is only required to provide identity protection coverage through fiscal year 2026. Under the bill I am introducing today, OPM would be required to provide coverage for the remainder of the lives of affected individuals. The current coverage is inadequate, particularly considering that there is no limit to when the stolen data may be exploited. Therefore, there should be no limit on the duration of the coverage provided to affected individuals. This bill would give current, former and prospective federal employees and contractors who were affected both some peace of mind and protection. OPM failed to protect these people. It follows that the government must make up for its mistake. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce a bill to clarify certain due process rights of federal employees serving in sensitive positions. This bill would overturn an unprecedented federal court decision, Kaplan v. Conyers and MSPB, which stripped many federal employees of the right to independent review of an agency decision removing them from their jobs on grounds of ineligibility. The case was brought by two Department of Defense (DOD) employees, Rhonda Conyers, an accounting technician, and Devon Northover, a commissary management specialist, who were permanently demoted and suspended from their jobs after they were found to be no longer eligible to serve in noncritical sensitive positions. In 2014, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which allowed the decision to stand. This bill is cosponsored by Representative Andre Carson. Specifically, the decision prevents federal employees who are designated as ``noncritical sensitive'' from appealing to the Merit Systems Protection Board if they are removed from their jobs. Noncritical sensitive jobs include those that do not have access to classified information. The decision affects at least 200,000 DOD employees who are designated as noncritical sensitive. Even more seriously, most federal employees could potentially lose the same right to an independent review of an agency's decision because of a rule by the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that permits agency heads to designate most jobs in the federal government as noncritical sensitive, which went into effect in July 2015. The Kaplan decision undercuts Title 5, section 7701 of the Civil Service Act, which ensures due process rights for federal workers required by the U.S. Constitution. Stripping employees whose work does not involve classified matters of the right of review of an agency decision that removes them from their jobs opens entirely new avenues for unreviewable, arbitrary action or retaliation by an agency head and, in addition, makes a mockery of whistleblower protections enacted in the 112th Congress. This bill would stop the use of ``national security'' to undo a vital component of civil service protection and of due process. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service Employment Non- Discrimination Act, which would apply the District of Columbia Human Rights Act of 1977 (DCHRA) to employees of the local D.C. courts and of the D.C. Public Defender Service (PDS). In February, the D.C. Court of Appeals held in Robertson v. District of Columbia that the DCHRA, which protects employees of the D.C. government and of private employers from discrimination, does not apply to employees of the local D.C. courts. The court has not ruled on the applicability of the DCHRA to PDS employees. The local D.C. courts and PDS are unique entities, and they sometimes fall through the regulatory cracks. They are neither federal nor D.C. government entities, though both were created and are funded by Congress, and their employees are treated as federal employees for some employee benefits. This bill would ensure that their employees have comprehensive protections from and remedies for employment discrimination. While employees of the local D.C. courts and of PDS are protected by federal anti-discrimination laws, the DCHRA provides much broader protections and remedies for employees than federal anti-discrimination laws. While the D.C. Council may have the authority to pass such a bill itself, only Congress has the clear authority to do so, given the express limitations in the D.C. Home Rule Act on the Council's authority to legislate on matters affecting the local D.C. courts, and given that Congress has generally served as the legislative body for PDS. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Breastfeeding Mothers Jury Duty Exclusion Act of 2022, which would allow breastfeeding mothers summoned for jury service in federal court or in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to be excused from service for the period they are breastfeeding upon the individual's request. The benefits of breastfeeding are well-documented, and breastfeeding mothers should not be deterred from breastfeeding by jury service. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act prohibits the D.C. Council from enacting any law relating to title 11 of the D.C. Code. Title 11 governs jury service. Therefore, this bill is necessary to provide this exclusion for both the federal and D.C. courts. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I introduce the Department of the Treasury Officer Protection Act of 2022. This bill would help ensure the safety of Treasury Department police officers by allowing them, including those who work at the Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), to carry their government firearms home. BEP officers were among the first responders when a gunman opened fire at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2009. However, BEP officers also can be targets because they wear uniforms to and from work. Many BEP officers carry personal firearms to and from work because they are not allowed to take their government firearms home, and some are forced to leave those personal firearms in their cars while they are on duty, creating a possibly dangerous situation. Allowing BEP officers to carry their government firearms home will put them in the same position as Mint officers. Although both agencies are under the Treasury Department, under Treasury Department rules, Mint officers are allowed to carry their government firearms home, while BEP officers are not. There is no meaningful distinction between officers for these two agencies. They should be treated equally. This bill would allow all uniformed officers in the Treasury Department to carry their government firearms home to protect officers and the public and so that the Treasury Department does not have separate rules for different law enforcement agencies under its umbrella. I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, on the anniversary of the week of the start of the Civil War, I introduce the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act, which would recognize and preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington located in the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland. The Defenses of Washington, including forts, unarmed batteries and rifle trenches, created a ring of protection for the nation's capital during the Civil War. This bill would redesignate the 22 Civil War Defenses of Washington currently under National Park Service jurisdiction as a national historical park, and allow other sites associated with the Defenses of Washington that are owned by the District or a unit of state governments to be affiliated with the national historical park through cooperative agreements. This bill would also require the Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the storied history of the Civil War for both the North and the South, including the history of the Defenses of Washington and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, being assembled, arrayed and conveyed for the benefit of the public for the knowledge, education and inspiration of this and future generations. In 2018, the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing on this bill. Although the Department of the Interior opposed this bill, I feel strongly that the Defenses of Washington need additional recognition and should be redesignated as a national historical park. The Defenses of Washington were constructed at the beginning of the war, in 1861, as a ring of protection for the nation's capital and for President Abraham Lincoln. By the end of the war, these defenses included 68 forts, 93 unarmed batteries, 807 mounted cannons, 13 miles of rifle trenches and 32 miles of military roads. The major test of the Defenses of Washington came with the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, when Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early, directed by General Robert E. Lee, sought to attack the nation's capital from the north, causing Union forces threatening to attack Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, to be withdrawn. General Early was delayed by Union Major General Lew Wallace at the Battle of Monocacy on July 9, 1864, and was stopped at the northern edge of Washington at the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 11-12, 1864. The Shenandoah Valley Campaign ended when Union Lieutenant General Philip Sheridan defeated General Early at the Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, on October 19, 1864. Nearly all the individual forts in the Defenses of Washington--on both sides of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers--were involved in stopping General Early's attack, and the Battle of Fort Stevens was the second and last attempt by the Confederate Army to attack Washington. Taken together, these battles were pivotal to the outcome of the war and the freedom and democracy that the war represented for this country. It is therefore fitting that we recognize the Defenses of Washington by redesignating them as a national historical park. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Reducing Helicopter Noise in the District of Columbia Act, which would require all helicopters and rotocraft in the District of Columbia to fly at the maximum altitude permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in D.C., with limited exceptions. The exceptions would include active law enforcement and rescue operations, transporting the president and vice president and safety. I hear from D.C. residents almost daily about helicopter noise. Helicopter noise can harm health, quality of life and the structural integrity of homes. In 2019, I led members of the National Capital Region (NCR) in requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study helicopter noise in the NCR. Last year, GAO issued its report. GAO found that there had been nearly 90,000 helicopter flights in the NCR from 2017 to 2019. GAO recommended that the FAA develop a mechanism to exchange helicopter noise information with operators in the NCR. The FAA indicated that it would implement such a mechanism, and I also introduced the Washington, DC Area Helicopter Noise Information Exchange Act of 2021 to require the FAA to implement such a mechanism. I urge my colleagues to support the Reducing Helicopter Noise in the District of Columbia Act.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to ask the House of Representatives to join me in celebrating Constellation Theatre Company on its 15th anniversary, which is today, April 4, 2022. Constellation Theatre Company was created to tell big, powerful stories in intimate spaces. Constellation Theatre Company showcases diverse stories that reflect the vast range of human experience using visual spectacle, dynamic movement, live music and passionate acting ensembles. These plays and musicals spark the curiosity and imagination of audiences in the District of Columbia metropolitan area. Constellation Theatre Company believes that the communal experience of live theater promotes compassion, understanding, healing and connection--and that we need it now more than ever. Constellation Theatre Company ``brings a global perspective different from what every other theatre company in the DMV explores.'' Constellation Theatre Company has brought to life 45 diverse stories from 16 countries. Many of these stories highlight philosophies of religions that are underrepresented in the Western theatrical canon. Constellation Theatre Company has received some of the top theater awards in the Mid-Atlantic region, including winning 17 Helen Hayes Awards and receiving 81 nominations. Constellation Theatre Company was voted ``Best Small Theatre Company'' by The Washington Post in 2016 and 2018, was voted ``Best Theatre Company'' by the Washington City Paper in 2016, won the American Theatre Wing, National Theatre Company Award in 2013 and received the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company in 2009. More than 100,000 people have attended Constellation Theatre Company productions. Constellation Theatre Company has hired 1,650 artists, the majority of whom are from the District of Columbia. Ninety-three percent of Constellation Theatre Company shows have been directed by women, and many of the actors and artists have come from diverse backgrounds. Constellation Theatre Company has partnered with top theater professionals from around the world and with national and regional groups to engage audiences and to create change. These groups include: American Red Cross, Humane Society, Whitman Walker Health. Barcelona Wine Bar, Room & Board, Art of Living, Freer-Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Journeys and Thornton Wilder Society. Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Constellation Theatre Company founders Allison Arkell Stockman and A.J. Guban and the Chair of Constellation Theatre Company's Board of Directors, Scott Chatham, on 15 years of service to the District of Columbia and the country.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce a bill that would permit commercial filming and photography on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Complex, beyond east of Union Square, the only area where such filming and photography is currently authorized. This bill would allow commercial filming and photography outside of the Capitol and congressional office buildings by permit, so long as neither the House nor Senate is in session. In many countries, freedom of expression is limited, and while the January 6th insurrection was one of the greatest threats to American democracy in history, the Capitol and the United States remain beacons of democracy for the world. We should encourage commercial filming and photography at the Capitol to share this symbol of democracy with the world. Movies and television shows that involve the Capitol should not have to go to other cities or use fake capitol buildings for filming. The current policy allowing commercial filming and photography near the U.S. Botanic Garden shows that the Capitol Police can handle commercial filming and photography at the Capitol Complex, especially when Congress is not in session. However, that vantage point captures the least familiar view of the Capitol. Preventing commercial filmmakers and photographers from shooting in front of the Capitol is neither business-friendly nor true to the nation's democratic traditions. Encouraging commercial filming and photography at the Capitol would help spread the story of our national legislature around the world. There is no good reason why commercial filming and photography should be confined to Union Square. Specifically, my bill would give the Capitol Police complete discretion to issue a permit for commercial filming and photography at the Capitol Complex under the same terms and conditions as those for commercial filming and photography in Union Square. No policy or security reasons exist to justify limiting commercial filming and photography at the Capitol Complex to only one location, Union Square, especially considering that permits are necessary. Visitors are regularly seen on East Capitol Street (east of 2nd Street) taking pictures, where they get a full view of the Capitol, demonstrating the arbitrary nature of limiting commercial filming and photography to Union Square. This bill would provide the Capitol Police authority to charge fees to cover any costs incurred by the Architect of the Capitol from permit approval. The fees would be deposited into the Capitol Trust Account, which was established to accept fees collected for commercial filming and photography permits for Union Square. Amounts in the Capitol Trust Account would be available without fiscal year limitation for maintenance, improvements and projects the Architect of the Capitol considers appropriate, subject to the approval of the Appropriations Committees. Views of the Capitol are among America's most iconic. Limiting commercial filming and photography of the Capitol, an important vehicle for telling the nation's story, does not serve the American people. Indeed, most of the world reveres our system of government largely through commercial films and photos of the Capitol, a symbol of our democracy at work. Commercial films and photographs of the Capitol, the seat of our democracy, are perhaps the best modem vehicles for telling the nation's story and showcasing its democratic system of government. Republicans and Democrats alike revere the image of the Capitol as a symbol of democracy. My bill would enable appropriate, permitted commercial filming and photography of the Capitol, and would create economic benefits for the nation, the District of Columbia and private businesses. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Service Academies District of Columbia Equality Act, which would give the District of Columbia the same number of appointments and nominations to the U.S. service academies as states. Currently, each Member of the House and each senator is allocated five appointments to each service academy-- the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy--and each Member of the House and each senator is allowed 10 nominations for each appointment. Therefore, since D.C. has no senators, D.C. is deprived of 10 appointments and, assuming all appointments are vacant, 100 nominations to each service academy. This bill would provide equality for D.C. residents who choose to serve their country by applying to a service academy. It is remarkable that D.C. residents volunteer to serve a country that denies them statehood, congressional voting rights and full home rule. District residents have fought in every American war, and our residents, who pay all federal taxes, including paying more federal taxes per capita than the residents of any state, deserve to have the same opportunity to attend our prestigious service academies as residents of the states. The District's population (690,000) is larger than that of two states and is in line with the six states that have a population under one million. D.C. servicemembers have helped secure voting rights for people throughout the world, yet have always been denied those same rights when they returned home. District residents deserve equality at the service academies. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Federal Government Advertising Equity Accountability Act, which would require all federal agencies to include in their annual budget requests to Congress the amount they spend on advertising contracts with small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) and businesses owned by minorities and women. Federal agencies would be required to provide prior and projected total expenditures for such contracts. The Committee on Appropriations, at my and Representative Barbara Lee's request, has been requiring such information from many agencies for the last several years, but my bill would codify this requirement and apply it to all federal agencies. In 2007, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined spending on advertising contracts with minority-owned businesses by five agencies--the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of the Interior and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration--and found that only five percent of the $4.3 billion available for advertising contracts went to minority businesses. In light of these concerning findings, several Members of Congress and I sent a letter to GAO in April 2016 requesting updated information on the amount of federal advertising dollars spent with SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women. That GAO report, released in July 2018, showed that in fiscal year 2017, only 16 percent of the federal government's advertising contract obligations went to SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women. The federal government is the largest advertiser in the United States, and it has an obligation to ensure equitable access to its contracts for SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women. The GAO's findings demonstrate that there is still much progress to be made. The regular collection of information on federal advertising contracts with SDBs and businesses owned by women and minorities, along with the provision of this information to legislators and stakeholders, is essential to bridging the gap between what current statistics show and a more inclusive advertising landscape. This bill would achieve these goals while also promoting transparency and encouraging federal agencies to strive to reach minorities, who often receive the news from smaller media outlets that serve communities of color. The requirement that agencies submit prior and projected information regarding the amount of advertising dollars spent with SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women would allow federal agencies to evaluate their progress over time. The regular collection of this information would also demonstrate that the promotion of equity in advertising, and in all areas of government, should be a continuous effort that is important to the mission of every agency. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to introduce the Federal Gift Shop Tax Act, which would allow state and local governments to impose a sales tax at gift shops on federal property. These governments would be able to generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue. When the federal government engages in activity that is not inherently governmental, such as operating a gift shop, there is no reason to exempt customer purchases from a sales tax. The items sold at federal gift shops, such as jewelry, apparel, accessories, games and books, would be subject to sales tax if sold on private property. Customers are often unaware of the exemption from sales tax at gift shops on federal property, so the introduction of a sales tax is unlikely to have a significant impact on gift shop sales. It would, however, create a valuable revenue stream for state and local governments. In addition, state and local governments often provide uncompensated services for federal property, such as fire service, and allowing them to impose a sales tax at gift shops on federal property would allow them to recoup some of these costs. This bill is of particular importance to the District of Columbia, which is home to a number of gift shops on federal property, such as at the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Universal Prekindergarten and Early Childhood Education Act of 2022, a version of which I have introduced in seven previous Congresses. My bill would establish and expand prekindergarten programs in public and public charter schools for three- and four-year-old children. The prekindergarten years are critical for children's brain development. My bill seeks a breakthrough in public education by providing funding for states to add prekindergarten for children at three and four years of age, like kindergarten programs for five-year-old children now routinely available in public schools. This bill would eliminate major shortcomings of unevenly available day care and, importantly, would take advantage of the safe facilities required in public schools. My bill provides federal funds to states, which must be matched by at least 20 percent of a state's own funds, to establish or expand universal, voluntary prekindergarten in public and public charter schools, regardless of income. The classes, which would be part of a full-day program and run throughout the entire school year, must be taught by teachers who possess equivalent qualifications to those teaching other grades in the school. The funds would supplement, not supplant, other federal funds for early childhood education. The unique moneysaving aspect of my bill is that it uses the existing public- school infrastructure and trained teachers to make early childhood education available to all, saving billions of dollars in implementation costs. The success of Head Start and other prekindergarten programs, combined with new scientific evidence on the importance of brain development in early childhood, virtually mandates the expansion of early childhood education to all children. Early learning programs mainly have been available only to the affluent, who can afford them, and to some low-income families in programs such as Head Start, which would be unaffected by my bill. My bill provides a practical way to universal, public preschool education for the majority of families. The goal of the bill is to afford the benefits of early childhood education to the working poor, lower middle class and middle class, most of whom have been left out of this essential education for their children. We cannot afford to allow the most fertile years for childhood development to pass unenriched. My bill responds to the great needs of parents who seek early childhood education, as well as to today's brain science, which shows that a child's brain development begins much earlier than had been previously understood. Considering the staggering cost of day care, the inaccessibility of early childhood education and the opportunity that early education offers to improve a child's chances of success, schooling for three- and four-year-old children is overdue. The absence of viable options for families demands our immediate attention. My bill reflects what jurisdictions throughout the nation increasingly are trying to accomplish. The District of Columbia, for example, has achieved an extensive integration of early childhood education as part of a larger effort to improve D.C. public schools. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for this important resolution. I rise in support of this resolution condemning threats of violence against historically Black colleges and universities. As the Member from the District of Columbia, I also represent two historically Black colleges and universities, Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. Last month, several D.C. schools were targeted, including my own alma mater, Dunbar High School. This resolution is important to not only express our outrage at these threats of violence, but to reaffirm our commitment to the students, faculty, and staff at these universities. HBCUs are responsible for educating the next generation and preparing them for their careers. The value they have for the District of Columbia and the country cannot be overstated.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to ask the House of Representatives to recognize Clifton N. West, Jr., an accomplished business owner who served the residents of the District of Columbia. Clifton N. West, Jr., ``Skeeter'' was born on December 12, 1933, to Thaddenia West and Clifton N. West, Sr. and was the younger brother of Pat and Beverly. He was raised by his mother and his grandparents in Arlington, Virginia. In 1952, Skeeter graduated from Dunbar High School in the District of Columbia. During his time at Dunbar, he served in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). He won many awards with the drill team and the track team. Skeeter enrolled in Howard University in 1952 as a chemistry major. In 1955, he left college and joined the Air Force. He served for three years at the Chateauroux Air Force base in France. After his discharge, in 1958, he used the GI Bill to continue his education at Howard University and worked part-time at the U.S. Postal Service. He would go on to work at St. Elizabeths Hospital and later at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center as a medical technologist. In 1963, he started a laboratory in his basement and worked on building his business in the evenings while he worked for Berkley Medical Instruments selling blood analyzers during the day. In 1971, he founded B & W STAT Laboratory, Inc. on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Irving Street NW in the District of Columbia. His business remains in operation 62 years later. The laboratory was one of the first independent commercial laboratories in the United States and has served as a faithful business anchor for Georgia Avenue ever since, servicing, hiring and training local residents. The company has won numerous specimen-testing contracts and, in 1971, was the first laboratory in the country to install and operate an on-site lab in the D.C. courthouse. The program received network television recognition and served as a model for similar programs throughout the country. Skeeter founded the Georgia Avenue Business Association, was co- founder of the DC Drug Prevention Partnership, and his business has participated in the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program. The DC Drug Prevention Partnership was established to address and curb drug use in D.C.'s Ward 1. Skeeter served as the President of the Lower Georgia Avenue Business and Professional Association. During his tenure as President of B & W STAT, Skeeter and his business received many community service awards, including Outstanding Businessman from the People's Involvement Corporation: recognition from the Department of Employment Services--Outstanding Service; and Commanders of the Rite, Mason of the District of Columbia--Excellence in Science Services--Long Years of Leadership in the Field of Laboratory Testing. B & W STAT has been and continues to be a committed community partner. Throughout the years, B & W STAT had offices on Independence Avenue, Georgia Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue, had multiple contracts with the military, local hospitals and doctor offices and at one time employed over 100 people. B & W STAT was a well-known laboratory, and if you got married in D.C., the required serology premarital blood test to receive a blue card was performed at B & W STAT from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Skeeter was sure to greet everyone who got married in D.C. He trained local residents through internships and the summer program and helped rehabilitate many D.C. residents. He streamlined toxicology testing and was featured both on the television news and in the paper. He trained hundreds of military personnel on testing and did not request payment for such training. Skeeter faced many small business issues, including dealing with banks and lines of credit, but more importantly, dealt with prejudice while performing very technical work. B & W STAT always helped the D.C. government with issues around drug testing and helped when they got behind on testing by turning work around in 24 hours. He worked long hours, starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending after 6:00 p.m. B & W STAT was a member of the Howard University Bison Express, which provides financial assistance to Howard University student-athletes and supported Howard University athletics initiatives, for many years. The company also raised money to replace equipment stolen from Howard University. Skeeter loved to travel and take family vacations. He encouraged both of his children to attend Howard University and continue the tradition of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Both attended and graduated from Howard University. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 62 years, Carole Smith West; his son, Clifton N. West, III, ``Skip''; his daughter, Alison West Hughes; his son-in-law, Michael Anthony Hughes; three grandchildren and his sisters, Raquel ``Pat'' Hall and Beverly W. Goode. He was loved by many and will surely be missed. His spirit and personality touched everyone he met. His love and spirit will be remembered by all.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to introduce the District of Columbia Code Returning Citizens Coordination Act. This bill would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide information to the District of Columbia government on individuals convicted of D.C. Code felonies under BOP jurisdiction to help ensure the District has services ready when such individuals return home. Individuals convicted of D.C. Code felonies face significant hurdles in preparing to return to society because most are in BOP facilities hundreds or even thousands of miles from the District, their families and their loved ones. Because they are frequently housed so far away from the District, coordinating returning citizens' reentry into society is difficult. Under this bill, the District government would know the health and other needs of individuals convicted of D.C. Code felonies before they are released from BOP custody. Individuals convicted of D.C. Code felonies are the only individuals required to be housed by BOP for violations of non-federal laws. Currently, under federal privacy laws, BOP is allowed to share information on individuals convicted of D.C. Code felonies with the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA), since CSOSA is also a federal agency, but not with the D.C. government. This bill would require BOP to treat the D.C. government as they do other federal agencies for the purposes of--but only for the purposes of--federal privacy laws, such as the Privacy Act, so that the District government can obtain the necessary information to provide appropriate services to returning citizens. Specifically, the bill would require BOP, on an annual basis, to provide the District government the following information on individuals convicted of D.C. Code felonies under BOP jurisdiction: the name, date of birth and Federal Register number, the facility where housed and the scheduled release date. In addition, upon the request of the D.C. government, BOP would have to provide the D.C. government with the same information it provides CSOSA on such individuals. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. NORTON

Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Federal Employee Short-Term Disability Insurance Act of 2022, which would help provide financial relief for federal employees who have a short-term injury or disability, become pregnant or develop a pregnancy-related illness. This bill would offer federal employees short-term disability insurance at no cost to the federal government. Employees would be responsible for 100 percent of the premiums and be able to receive disability insurance benefits for up to one year, which would replace a portion of their lost income due to a non-work-related injury or illness or pregnancy. This bill is more important now than ever with the prevalence of so-called ``Long COVID.'' I decided to investigate how we could provide short-term disability insurance for federal employees after learning that many of them already buy short-term disability insurance as individuals in the private market at high individual rates. Although federal employees have good health insurance, federal health benefits do not replace lost income if employees are unable to work. Moreover, while federal employees may have available sick or annual leave days, they may not have enough such days to pay the bills if they have to be out of work for an extended period, such as following surgery. Although there are long-term disability options for federal employees who become permanently disabled, federal employees do not qualify for such benefits until they have worked for the federal government for at least 18 months. My bill does no more than put federal employees in the same position as many of their private-sector counterparts, who often have access to disability insurance through an employer at group rates, an option unavailable to federal employees. This bill would not allow participating insurance companies to exclude persons based on preexisting conditions. Because of the federal government's purchasing power, this bill would provide these benefits at a more competitive rate than is available for employees purchasing as individuals, as many do. Under this bill, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management would contract with private carriers to provide this coverage, essentially providing the equivalent of group coverage available to workers in the private sector. According to the Social Security Administration, a 20-year-old worker has a one-in-four chance of becoming disabled by retirement age. The majority of disabilities are not caused by major accidents, but by injuries or illnesses, such as back injuries or cancer, according to the Council for Disability Awareness. There is every reason to allow our federal employees to take advantage of the federal government's purchasing power to obtain the most reasonable price if they choose to purchase short-term disability coverage on their own, at no cost to the federal government. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.