The District of Columbia Membership on Capitol Police Board Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Membership on Capitol Police Board Act, which would make the chief of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) an ex officio, non-voting member of the Capitol Police Board (Board). The Board oversees the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and security for the U.S. Capitol complex and is comprised of three voting members (the House Sergeant at Arms, the Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper and the Architect of the Capitol) and one ex officio, non-voting member (the USCP chief). My bill would give the MPD chief the same status on the Board as the USCP chief.

The events and aftermath of the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, demonstrate the need for D.C. membership on the Board. Not only would the MPD chief's membership on the Board help improve coordination between USCP and MPD, which helped save the Capitol and its occupants after USCP was overrun during the attack, it would force the Board to consider the interests of D.C. residents in its decision-making. The Board's decisions affect D.C. residents more than any other Americans, but no member of the Board has any obligation to consider the perspective and needs of D.C. residents. D.C. residents continue to bear the brunt of the security decisions the Board has made since the attack. For example, the fencing around the Capitol complex has forced D.C. emergency vehicles and residents to take detours and has prevented access to the Capitol grounds, which are used by neighborhood residents for recreation and relaxation.

I support the calls to evaluate whether the Board is the right mechanism to oversee security at the Capitol, but as long as the Board is in existence, D.C. should have membership on it.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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