Washington, D.C

Congress left D.C. with little done. They’ll be back Nov. 12 to give it another try. – Maryland Matters

Published

2 months ago

October 12, 2024

Congress left D.C. with little done. They’ll be back Nov. 12 to give it another try. – Maryland Matters

WASHINGTON — When members of Congress left Capitol Hill last month to focus their attention on the campaign trail during the weeks leading up to Election Day, they left much of their work unfinished.

The Republican House and Democratic Senate are scheduled to remain on recess until Nov. 12, though the urgent needs created in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which are fully funded for the moment, could bring the chambers back into session before then.

When lawmakers do return to Washington, D.C., they’ll need to address the must-pass legislation they’ve left on autopilot instead of negotiating new bipartisan compromises.

So far this year, lawmakers have pushed off the hard work of brokering agreement on must-pass measures like the farm bill as well as this year’s batch of government funding bills and the annual defense policy legislation.

Kids’ online safety, radiation exposure

There are also a handful of measures that have passed one chamber with broad bipartisan support, but haven’t been taken up on the other side of the Capitol, which leadership could decide to move forward during November or December.

For example, an interesting combination of senators, led by Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn, are advocating for House Republican leaders to hold votes on a pair of online safety bills designed to better protect children from the darker side of the internet.

The rail safety bill drafted by a bipartisan group of senators from Ohio and Pennsylvania after the train derailment in East Palestine remains unaddressed following more than a year of intransigence.

And legislation to reauthorize the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, which passed the Senate on a broadly bipartisan vote earlier this year, sits on a shelf collecting dust in the House.

Cancer victims, Indigenous communities and many others have pressed House GOP leadership to hold a vote to reauthorize the program after it expired this summer, but House members have avoided it due to cost.

Five-week lame duck

Lawmakers interviewed by States Newsroom and congressional leaders all indicated the outcome of the November elections will have significant sway on what Congress approves during the five-week lame-duck session that spans November and December.

All interviews took place before Hurricane Helene made landfall and Israel was directly attacked by Iran, both of which are likely to be at the top of congressional leaders’ to-do lists.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune said it’s “hard to say” what, if anything, Congress will approve during the lame-duck session.

“I think a lot will be shaped by what happens in November,” the South Dakota Republican said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said just a day before Hurricane Helene made landfall that Democrats would advocate for passing natural disaster response funding previously requested by the Biden administration.

“Extreme weather events are on the rise and they affect everyone — in blue states, purple states and red states,” Jeffries said. “This is not a partisan issue, it’s an American issue in terms of being there, in times of need for everyday Americans, who have had their lives and livelihood upended.”

Other House Democratic priorities during the lame duck include approving the dozen full-year government funding bills that were supposed to be completed before Oct. 1, the defense policy bill that had the same deadline and the farm bill, which is more than a year overdue.

Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley said he “sure hopes” the RECA reauthorization bill reaches the president’s desk before the end of the year. He didn’t rule out lobbying to attach it to a must-pass government funding bill, but said the real hurdle is House GOP leaders.

“It doesn’t need help in the Senate. It just needs the House,” Hawley said. “I’ve had good, productive conversations with Speaker (Mike) Johnson in the last few weeks, and I appreciate his personal engagement on this, and I hope that that will lead to action.”

Hawley said the House allowing RECA to expire, preventing cancer victims who qualify for the program from receiving benefits, was “outrageous.”

Defense priorities, farm bill

Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, said staff would work during October to bridge the differences between the two chambers on the annual defense policy bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act. Those staff-level talks will lay the foundation for Republicans and Democrats to meet once they return to Capitol Hill after the elections.

“We have to be ready when we come back to go right to the ‘Big Four’ meeting,” he said, referring to the top leaders in both chambers. “That’s our objective.”

Reed said many of the differences between the House and the Senate aren’t typical Defense Department policy issues per se, but are “more political, cultural, social.”

Congress may begin to debate additional military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine this year, though that’s more likely to happen next year, Reed said.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said she was making a “big push” for the House and Senate to reach agreement on the farm bill in the months ahead, though she cautioned talks don’t actually constitute a conference.

“I wouldn’t call it a conference; technically to have a conference, you have to have a bill passed by the House and a bill passed by the Senate, which will not happen,” Stabenow said.

“But I believe that there is a way,” Stabenow added. “I believe there’s a way to get a bipartisan bill.”

Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, the top Republican on the Agriculture panel, said lawmakers didn’t need the election results to “start working through our disagreements” on the farm bill, adding there’s some new momentum in talks.

“I think what’s changed is that there is a recognition among members, all members, how difficult it is right now as a farmer,” Boozman said. “So that’s really what’s changed in the last three or four months. It’s developing a real sense of urgency for these folks.”

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said the election outcome could influence what lawmakers choose to accomplish during the lame-duck session.

“There’s any number of scenarios, whether it’s NDAA, whether it’s farm bill, whether it’s anything else,” she said. “But it comes down to Leader Schumer.” New York Democrat Chuck Schumer is the majority leader in the Senate.

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said he expects Congress will broker some agreement on government funding legislation and the NDAA, but not necessarily anything else.

“In an odd way, the better the Dems do on Nov. 5, the more we’ll get done,” Kaine said. “Because I think if the House is going to flip back to Dem, I think the Rs will say, ‘Well, let’s get a whole lot of stuff done before the House goes down.’ So I think the better we do, the more we’ll get done in the lame duck.”

Kaine said if Democrats do well in the elections, they might not need to approve additional aid for Ukraine this Congress, since that funding can last into next year.

“If we don’t do well in the (elections), we might need to do it in the lame duck,” Kaine said. “So that’ll all depend.”

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Washington, D.C

Young girl shot in DC after younger brother ‘accessed a gun’, police say – WTOP News

Published

6 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

Young girl shot in DC after younger brother ‘accessed a gun’, police say – WTOP News

A girl “believed to be five years old” is in critical condition at a D.C. hospital for a gunshot wound in the presence of her younger brother Monday night, police said.

D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith said officers were called to a report of a shooting at an apartment in the unit block of Galveston Street in Southwest around 6:30 p.m.

She said officers found “a young female victim, believed to be five years old” shot in the upper-body and immediately provided first aid before emergency crews rushed her to a hospital.

Smith said the girl was “injured after a younger child accessed an unsecured firearm in the apartment,” adding that the younger child is “roughly around three years old.”

“This incident really highlights the danger of unsecured firearms in homes, especially around children,” Smith said.

According to police, the children were left with an adult man, considered to be a friend of the family inside the apartment. The man was tasked with watching and caring for the children while their mother was running errands.

Smith said an adult female, believed to be a sister of the female victim, was arrested for assaulting a special police officer working at the apartment complex where the shooting happened.

Below is a map of where the shooting took place.

(Courtesy Google Maps)

This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.

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Washington, D.C

DC mayor ‘hopeful’ that RFK Stadium bill will pass by end of week – WTOP News

Published

13 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

DC mayor ‘hopeful’ that RFK Stadium bill will pass by end of week – WTOP News

As leaders in Congress race to finish up this session’s legislative work, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was “hopeful” that a bill giving D.C. control of the federally-owned land RFK Stadium sits on would pass by the end of the week.

As leaders in Congress race to finish up this session’s legislative work, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was “hopeful” that a bill giving the District control of the federally-owned land that the RFK Stadium sits on would pass by the end of the week.

The legislation has already passed in the House and through a Senate committee, paving the way for a vote in the full Senate.

If D.C. were to get control of the site, the city could redevelop the area, and it would be viewed as a major advantage for the District in potentially getting the Washington Commanders to play there.

The Commanders have a lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, that runs through 2027, and the team is looking around for a new home.

“D.C. has done everything in our power to move this legislation through the process,” Bowser said on Monday. “The taxpayers of the District are willing to step up and put that land back into productive use.”

Supporters of the legislation, including the mayor, expect the bill to be added to a much broader, short-term spending bill that must be approved this week on Capitol Hill to avoid a government shutdown before the holidays.

The spending bill needs to pass through the House and Senate by Friday at midnight.

“My job is to make sure that after many, many years and a lot of hard work, that the vision that we have for that land best serves D.C. residents,” Bowser said. “We’re hopeful that … they vote on it this week.”

The RFK Stadium legislation has hit snags during negotiations, particularly because Maryland lawmakers have been working to secure a guarantee that the Landover site would be redeveloped if the team did decide to move elsewhere.

In a recent interview with WTOP, Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin said his “first priority” was not to redevelop the Landover site, but to keep the Commanders in Maryland.

“We believe in fair competition, and one of our concerns is that to give the District access to the RFK site without compensation tilts the scale in favor of D.C. over Maryland, which is something Congress should not do,” Cardin said. “I’ve always been very supportive of the needs of the District, and we want to make sure that we give them what they need, but we don’t want to tilt the scale.”

Asked whether she thought Maryland lawmakers were unfairly holding up the deal, Bowser said, “I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt that we’re all working in good faith to do what’s right for both of our jurisdictions … I think with what’s on the table, we have a winning solution for D.C. and for Maryland.”

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Washington, D.C

32 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Published

21 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

32 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Catch the The Hip-Hop Nutcracker. Photograph by Timothy Norris.

Happy Monday, DC!

You can shop last minute holiday presents at a community pop-up market, go indoor ice skating with family, or see a new go-go musical this week in the DC-area.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

December 16–December 22

1. Holiday Skate Spectacular. If you’re a fan of ice skating, but don’t want to brace the winter weather, you can glide across an indoor ice rink in DC this week. The National Building Museum is teaming up with DowntownDC Business BID to invite families to themed skate nights featuring pop music playlists, retro tunes, and special sessions for young children (December 16 through January 4, free, $5 skate rental, Penn Quarter).
2. “Annie Costia Beat Ya Feet” musical. The classic comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” turned 100 this year —a perfect time for DC Black Broadway to remix the timeless story to a creative go-go production. The new Annie Costia Beat Ya Feet musical is a local adaptation of the family-friendly narrative portraying an Anacostia-raised Annie learning about African culture (Fri-Sat, $60+, U Street Corridor).
3. “The Spirit of Kwanzaa”. The Spirit of Kwanzaa is the Dance Institute of Washington’s longest-running showcase. The local ensemble takes center stage at Atlas Performing Arts Center this weekend to pay homage to the joyous African American holiday through dance, spoken word, and song in celebration of the theme “For the Culture” (Fri-Sun, $30, H Street Corridor).
4. Candy Land pop-up at El Techo. Sparkling candy canes and colorful lollipops hanging from the ceiling, along with gift-wrapped treats, have transformed El Techo’s lively heated and covered rooftop hideaway into a holiday sweets wonderland. Throughout December, guests can snap photos with a pink-hued Nutcracker holiday tree—designed by Creations by Brenda—in between sips of gingerbread cocktails and bites of tacos. On Sunday, there’s a bottomless brunch party with a live DJ to add to the holiday fun (through December 29, free entry, U Street Corridor).
5. “The Hip-Hop Nutcracker”. Tchaikovsky’s timeless score is remixed in modern-day New York City where the storytellers are contemporary dancers, a DJ, a violinist, and hip-hop legend Kurtis Blow. The high-energy production makes its National Theatre debut this weekend (Fri-Sun, $50+, National Theatre).

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

Pick up your next read at Solid State Books’s New Fiction Holiday Book Swap (Mon, free, H Street Corridor).
Shop vintage clothing, jewelry, and more festive finds at Main Hall Holiday Market (Tues-Thurs, free, Union Station).
Mold and create your own scented soap at a community workshop led by local artist and author Rain Young (Sat, free, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum).
Shop for presents from local artisans and makers at Yalda Winter Market (Sat, free, Brookland).
Dog Daze Social Club is throwing a humans-only winter après-ski party featuring music from Lans, Concierge, and 9B49 (Sat, $25, Logan Circle).

Community and heritage:

Walk through historic Prohibition sites with historian Robert Pohl, and sip drinks at Union Pub in commemoration of Repeal Day (Tues, $45, NoMa).

Theater and shows:

It’s the last day to see Washington National Opera’s family-friendly production of Jungle Book (Mon, $25+, Kennedy Center).
Experience the African American tradition of stepping at Step Afrika’s annual holiday performance before the show closes at Arena Stage (through Sun, $99+, Southwest DC).
Best-selling book Life of Pi comes to life on the Kennedy Center stage (Tues through January 5, $49+, Kennedy Center).
The pop-infused & Juliet musical creates a comedic and new beginning for Juliet beyond a life with Romeo (Tues through January 5, $45+, Kennedy Center).
See a funny pantomime performance at Synetic Theater’s Little Comedies (Fri through January 4, $30, Arlington).
Snowflakes, candy canes, and toy soldiers adorn the stage for the Fairfax Ballet Company and Fairfax Symphony’s rendition of The Nutcracker (Sat-Sun, $44+, Fairfax).
Watch the Nutcracker rescue Clara from the Rat Queen in the Ballet Theatre of Maryland’s remix of The Nutcracker (Sat-Sun, $46+, $36 for virtual, Annapolis).

Music and concerts:

Listen to Foodman’s techno mixes at Rhizome DC (Mon, $15+, Takoma).
Dress in your best festive attire and dance the night away to Tate McRae, Meghan Trainor, and other artists at Hot 99.5’s Jingle Ball (Tues, $147+, sold out, but resale tickets available via third-party sellers, Capital One Arena).
Tango with neighbors at Dupont Underground (Tues, $10, Dupont).
If you’re feeling down this holiday season, you can attend a heartwarming Blue Christmas Service at Washington National Cathedral (Wed, free, virtual, Downtown).
Gospel icon CeCe Winans arrives in Tysons to perform Christmas melodies and some of her top songs to a sold-out Capital One Hall audience (Thurs, $111+ from third-party sellers, Tysons).
Listen to soothing Sinatra melodies at A Very Sinatra Christmas Special at the Washington Hilton (Thurs, $40+, Northwest DC).
The Slackers band plays live at Black Cat (Fri, $28+, Shaw).
Bassist JD Pinkus is live in concert at Quarry House Tavern (Sat, $15+, Silver Spring).

Get involved:

Gamers can play Mario Kart for a good cause at Fantom Comics’ Grand Prix fundraiser; proceeds will help support people affected by recent typhoons in the Philippines (Tues, $10, Northwest DC).
Participate in a family day hosted by the Washington Capitals and Bethesda Row to help support the Salvation Army. The event features Capitals’ meet-and-greets, hockey photo backdrops, and giveaways (Wed, free, Bethesda).

Bites and beverages:

Things to do with kids:

Take a family stroll through an icicle walkway, and take photos with giant snowflakes at Franklin Park (through Fri, free, Downtown).
There’s a three-day fireworks Christmas event for families to experience at the historic Mount Vernon estate (Fri-Sun, $55+ for adults, $33+ for ages 6-11, free for ages 5 and under).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.

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