Statement: More Affordable Housing and Resident Input When City Gives Developers Public Properties – Why I Introduced the Common Ground Act of 2022
Responding to the District’s affordable housing crisis and displacement of longtime Washingtonians, this week I was proud to introduce the Common Ground Amendment Act of 2022. This bill significantly reforms what the city does with public land it no longer uses. My goal with this bill is to use public lands to create more affordable […]
Press Release: In Response to Public Letter From Councilmember Robert White, Office of Risk Management Withdraws Insurance Increase Proposal Opposed by District Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, DC (September 17, 2022) – After months of advocacy on behalf of small business owners and the District’s hospitality industry, and on the heels of Councilmember White’s letter last week to the Office of Risk Management (ORM), Director Jed Ross informed Councilmember White last night that the Administration will drop the proposal to require […]
Letter to Director Ross at The Office of Risk Management (ORM)
September 8th, 2022 Mr. Jedd RossDirector/Chief Risk OfficerOffice of Risk Management441 4th St NWWashington, DC 20001 Dear Director Ross: I am writing you concerning the substantial increase in insurance requirements for outdoor eateries. The Office of Risk Management (“ORM”) has announced new insurance requirements that the business community is describing as untenable. These new insurance […]
Statement: Status of DGS & DCPS Back To School Readiness
Yesterday morning, I and several of my Council colleagues met with leaders of DC Public Schools (DCPS) and of the Department of General Services (DGS), which is responsible for DCPS facilities maintenance. We all know that every student and staff member deserves a school that is comfortable, safe, and conducive to learning, and I have consistently […]
Statement: Councilmember Robert White Introduces Three Bills to Expand Abortion Access
As the U.S. Supreme Court finalizes its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which will likely overturn the legal right to abortion, the question is whether state and local governments will respond by increasing access to healthcare and civil liberties, or further restrict them. In the District, my fellow Councilmembers and I are determined […]
Elimination of Discrimination Against Women Amendment Act of 2022
Today, I introduced and the Council passed a resolution commemorating March as Women’s History Month and acknowledging the accomplishments of women in the District of Columbia. In the District, 52.6% of residents identify as women. Our city is home to a rich and exciting history filled with the exceptional contributions of women across a variety […]
Marion Barry Day: A Celebration of DC’s Transformative Leader
“In Washington, DC, over my sixteen years as Mayor, as well as after my sixteen years, over 100,000 young people got jobs, and we put thousands of families in new housing. We put it in the budget and made it a priority for these youth and their families. We wanted to make sure we had […]
Statement on the Reappointment of Karima Holmes as the Director of DC’s Office of Unified Communications
I’m very concerned by the Mayor’s decision to reappoint Karima Holmes as Director of the Office of Unified Communications (OUC), the body that handles the city’s 911 and 311 calls. Last year, the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor found that, under her leadership, the OUC’s 911 operations—for most months in 2019 and 2020—failed […]
Councilmember Robert White’s Statement on MPD Lieutenant with Alleged Ties to the Proud Boys
A lieutenant with the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) intelligence branch is alleged to have ties to the right-wing extremist group, the Proud Boys, a key instigator of last January’s insurrection on the US Capitol. While the lieutenant was rightfully placed on leave, this is a troubling development and his role in MPD intelligence once again raises […]