Norton Files Pro-D.C. Amendments to National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) filed several D.C.-related amendments to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) at the Rules Committee, including amendments to:

• Give the Mayor of D.C. the same authority over the D.C. National Guard that the governors of states and territories have over their National Guards. Currently the president controls the D.C. National Guard. This amendment is based on the District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act (H.R. 5093).
• Require the Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard to reside in D.C. This amendment is based on the District of Columbia National Guard Commanding General Residency Act (H.R. 4815).
• Require members of the Armed Forces performing active service in D.C. in response to an order of the president relating to crime or civil disturbance in D.C. to participate in a body-worn camera program similar to the D.C. police department's program. This amendment is based on H.R. 5051.
• Give D.C. the same number of appointments and nominations to the U.S. service academies as states receive. Without senators to nominate qualified students, D.C. residents currently receive only a third of the total slots available to residents of the states. This amendment is based on the Service Academies District of Columbia Equality Act (H.R. 5971).
• Require the consent of the chief executive officer of a state (including D.C. and a territory) for the deployment of an out-of-state National Guard to the state or territory under Title 32. This amendment is based on a bill introduced by former Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), H.R. 590.

"From giving D.C. students the same access to our nation's prestigious service academies that residents of the states receive to requiring the Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard to reside in the District, these common-sense amendments will bring us closer to equality with the states and expand D.C.'s power to decide how to use its own resources," Norton said.

"The mayor of D.C. should have control of D.C.'s National Guard, as governors of the states do for their National Guard units. However, since the president currently controls the D.C. National Guard and he prioritizes posting armed and camo-clad National Guard troops in our Metro stations and parks, they should comply with the same body-worn camera requirements that MPD does. The fact that MPD already does this without issue demonstrates that it wouldn't be overly burdensome for National Guard troops to do the same.

"Finally, former representative - and current governor of New Jersey - Mikie Sherrill's bill to require consent before out-of-state National Guard units can be deployed to a state or territory is perhaps the most obvious of all. Without that consent, the troops are working against the local authorities they're ostensibly sent to assist."

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