[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 4 (Thursday, January 6, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E5-E6]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDING 
                         GENERAL RESIDENCY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 6, 2022

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the District of 
Columbia National Guard Commanding General Residency Act, which would 
require the Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard to reside in 
D.C. Last year, I introduced a substantially similar version of this 
bill, but I am introducing this version for committee jurisdiction 
reasons. This bill is even more important now because my provision in 
the House's National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 
(NDAA) that would have given the D.C. mayor control over the D.C. 
National Guard was removed from the enacted NDAA.

[[Page E6]]

  The D.C. National Guard is a federal entity, and the Commanding 
General of the D.C. National Guard is a federal official. The 
Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard is not required to reside 
in D.C. Congress has justifiably required that certain Federal 
officials reside in the jurisdiction they serve to ensure in-depth 
knowledge of the unique issues and challenges residents and Federal 
officials face. The President controls the D.C. National Guard, 
including the appointment of the Commanding General. In the states and 
territories, the governors control their National Guards, the top 
official in the National Guard is usually appointed by the governor and 
the top official can be required to live in the jurisdiction. All of 
these are compelling reasons why the Commanding General of the D.C. 
National Guard should be required to be a D.C. resident.
  This bill follows in the footsteps of several other bills that I have 
introduced that would require certain federal officials serving D.C. 
exclusively to reside in D.C. My District of Columbia Federal Officials 
Residency Equality Act (H.R. 3786) would require the Federal district 
court judges, Federal circuit court judges, the U.S. Attorney and the 
U.S. Marshals for D.C. to reside in D.C. I have also introduced a bill 
(H.R. 4393) that would require the Director of the Court Services and 
Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia and the 
Director of the District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency to reside 
in D.C.
  With the most recent permanent D.C. National Guard Commanding 
General, Major General William J. Walker, now serving as the House 
Sergeant at Arms, leaving a vacancy in the position of Commanding 
General of the D.C. National Guard, this bill is more timely than ever. 
Moreover, the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the 
events at Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020, are prime examples of why 
this bill is so important. Residents of the District would feel more 
confident in the D.C. National Guard if the Commanding General were 
required to be a D.C. resident.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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