[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 41 (Monday, March 2, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO DESIGNATE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AS AN 
                            EMPOWERMENT ZONE

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 2, 2020

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a bill that would 
statutorily add the District of Columbia to the national empowerment 
zone program, which provides federal tax incentives for businesses to 
locate and invest in low-income areas. In 1993, Congress created the 
national empowerment zone program and left it to federal agencies to 
designate a certain number of low-income areas as empowerment zones. 
The District was not one of the areas selected. However, in 1997, 
working primarily with Republicans in Congress, I created federal tax 
incentives for investment in the District by businesses and 
individuals. The business incentives were similar to, but more generous 
than, those available under the national empowerment zone program. I 
got the D.C. incentives reauthorized regularly until 2011, when 
Congress refused to extend only the D.C. program. At the same time, the 
national empowerment zone program continued to be reauthorized and was 
reauthorized last year through 2020. Under my bill, certain low-income 
neighborhoods, particularly in Wards 5, 7 and 8, would be treated as 
empowerment zones as long as the national empowerment zone program 
remains in effect.
  The wisdom of the bipartisan, modest, targeted business tax 
incentives for D.C. has been amply and visibly demonstrated in the 
economic resurgence of parts of the nation's capital where they were 
applied. Among the most visible examples are the formerly rundown area 
around the Verizon Center (now Capital One Arena), which is now 
surrounded by offices, restaurants and vibrant nightlife, and the Penn 
Quarter neighborhood, which had limited residential, commercial and 
retail spaces, and is now a popular mixed-use neighborhood.
  Unfortunately, the D.C. tax incentives were allowed to expire before 
the poorest D.C. neighborhoods were ready to make use of them, 
especially in Wards 5, 7 and 8. Withdrawing the D.C. tax incentives, 
particularly after they had proven to be effective in other areas of 
the city, has left the nation's capital with essentially half of a 
revival, and was tragically timed just as the lower-income parts of the 
District, which need the incentives most, are ready for redevelopment. 
The effectiveness of these incentives for the District has been 
demonstrated and their costs have been de minimis compared to the 
measurable benefits they have generated in the District.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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