Eleanor Holmes Norton: “We clearly must do more to save lives.”

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Federal Employee Short-Term Disability Insurance Act of 2026, which would make short-term disability insurance available to federal employees.

In my long career representing D.C. residents in Congress, I have rarely seen a bill as unreasonable and patronizing to the more than 700,000 people who live in the nation’s capital as this one.

This bill would establish a commonsense process to ensure that qualified nominees are not indefinitely delayed by Senate inaction.

D.C.'s local courts have faced chronic judicial vacancies for far too long, delaying justice for residents and placing an unnecessary strain on the administration of our local court system.