[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 166 (Wednesday, October 8, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E941-E942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR INTERIM APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
 NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS 
   WITH RESPECT TO ANY FISCAL YEAR FOR WHICH APPROPRIATIONS ARE NOT 
                 OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR THE COMMISSIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 8, 2025

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce a bill that would exempt 
from federal government shutdowns the National Capital Planning 
Commission (NCPC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA). This bill is 
modeled on a provision I have gotten enacted each year since the 2013 
federal government shutdown to exempt the District of Columbia 
government from federal government shutdowns.
  NCPC and CFA are both closed during the current federal government 
shutdown. Although NCPC and CFA are both federal agencies, they have a 
significant role in local D.C. land-use decisions. This bill would 
allow these agencies to reopen during the current shutdown and to 
exempt them from future shutdowns to prevent interruptions in local 
D.C. land-use decisions during federal government shutdowns. I have 
separately introduced bills to remove the authority NCPC and CFA have 
over local D.C. land-use decisions. Until Congress passes those bills, 
the agencies should be exempt from federal government shutdowns.
  Under federal law, NCPC has approval authority for the development of 
D.C.-owned buildings located in the ``central area,'' including the 
location, height, bulk, number of stories and size of such buildings. 
D.C. is required to consult with NCPC on the development of D.C.-owned 
buildings outside the central area, but NCPC has only advisory 
authority in those areas. The central area is defined by the concurrent 
action of NCPC and the D.C. Council and currently consists of the 
Downtown and Shaw Urban Renewal Areas.
  Under presidential executive orders (EOs) and federal law, CFA has 
review authority for D.C.-owned parks and buildings, as well as for 
certain private land in D.C. Under EOs, CFA has review authority for 
the design of D.C.-owned parks and buildings. Under the Shipstead-Luce 
Act, CFA has review authority for the design of private buildings in 
D.C. ``adjacent to public buildings and grounds of major importance,'' 
such as Rock Creek Park and the Potomac riverfront. Under the Old 
Georgetown Act, CFA has review authority for the design of private 
buildings in the part of Georgetown referred to as ``Old Georgetown'' 
in the act.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

[[Page E942]]

  

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