[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 28, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1133]
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

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 28, 2023

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today. I introduce a bill that would 
designate certain areas of the District of Columbia as empowerment 
zones. This bill would effectively reauthorize many of the unique 
federal tax incentives for business investment in D.C. that expired in 
2011. D.C.'s downtown, which has been the economic engine of the city, 
has been particularly hard hit by the increase in remote and hybrid 
work since the COVID-19 pandemic. making this bill especially 
important.
  In 1993, Congress created the national empowerment zone program to 
encourage investment in low-income communities and delegated to federal 
agencies the authority to designate communities as empowerment zones. 
D.C. was not among those so designated. However. in 1997. working 
primarily with Republicans in Congress, I created federal tax 
incentives for investment in D.C. 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 the D.C. incentives. At the same time, Congress extended the 
national empowerment zone program, and the program was last extended 
through 2025. Under my bill, low-income neighborhoods in D.C. would be 
treated as empowerment zones as long as the national empowerment zone 
program remains in effect.
  Congress has recognized that the benefits of tax incentives for 
investment in economically distressed communities outweigh the costs, 
as it has continuously extended the national empowerment zone program. 
The tax incentives for D.C. were the only tax incentives for a big city 
that were not extended, even though they were initially created by 
Republicans, with the help of several Democrats.
  The expiration of the tax incentives for D.C. was tragically timed, 
as the low-income parts of D.C., which needed the incentives most, were 
ready for revitalization. As we work to revitalize downtown D.C. and 
Wards 5, 7 and 8, the need for these incentives for D.C. is of 
paramount importance. The tax incentives for D.C. were effective and 
their costs were de minimis.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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