Eleanor Holmes Norton: “The purpose of--we would not be engaged in this hearing, and you would not have this money except for one purpose, to…”

D.C. has not been treated as a federal agency for funding purposes in more than 20 years precisely because doing so can force dramatic overnight cuts to essential services, including police, sanitation, and schools.

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.

I urge the FAA to do more to combat aviation noise and to engage more with affected communities on this matter.