“These deficiencies include a lack of consideration of transit options and investment, a dated and inequitable approach to improving infrastructure that is out of step with the Biden/Harris administration’s modern approach to infrastructure, the unknowns of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel, and phasing inconsistencies between the procurement process and the planned Environmental Impact Statement,” Brown wrote. Read more »
Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD), whose district surrounds NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, expects the House to vote on FY2022 appropriations bills beginning in June regardless of when President Biden sends his request to Congress. He anticipates continuing bipartisan support for Moon and Mars exploration, and increased oversight of the FAA’s human spaceflight regulations by the Transportation and In... Read more »
A new bill proposed by Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) and Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD) would establish a commission to conduct an investigation into the historic and ongoing impacts of discriminatory military policies and practices on LGBTQ servicemembers and veterans. “It’s still early in the process,” Takano, who chairs the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and co-chairs the House Equality Caucus, told... Read more »
Several Maryland lawmakers and police departments are offering their condolences and support after a U.S. Capitol Police officer was killed after a man rammed his vehicle into a barricade on the north side of the Capitol building Friday afternoon in Washington D.C. “It is with a very, very heavy heart that I announce that one of our officers have succumbed to injuries,” U.S. Capitol Police Acting ... Read more »
After the deadly January 6 insurrection, the US Capitol became a fortress. On Friday, when some, but not all, of those security procedures were still in place, a knife-wielding assailant allegedly rammed into Capitol Police officers with his car. The incident reinvigorates questions about how to protect the Capitol, and whether some enhanced security measures should become permanent. Officer Willi... Read more »
A COVID-19 vaccination clinic that is set to open next week will be a particular benefit to residents of the Washington, D.C., region who prefer or need to use mass transit, officials said on Wednesday. The clinic, located at the Greenbelt Metro station, will open on April 7, the White House and Hogan administration announced. It will have the capability to administer 3,000 shots per day, official... Read more »
Washington, D.C.- The Senate is considering House-passed legislation that would broaden federal protections for LGBTQ Americans against discrimination in housing, employment, and public services ranging from retail stores to doctors’ offices. Advocates for the Equality Act are hoping chances for final passage have improved since the Democrats last November won narrow control of the Senate. “In 29 ... Read more »
As Maryland pursues private investors to add toll lanes to the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270, some lawmakers say more scrutiny is needed before partnering with the private sector in decades-long deals worth billions. Maryland’s law governing public-private partnerships, or P3s, passed in 2013 with little fanfare. Lawmakers say it was mostly seen as a way to build the light-rail Purple Line i... Read more »
At Thursday’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Hearing, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg presented the Biden Administration’s commitment to investing in transit, freight and passenger rail, and Complete Streets programs, as well as the transition to electric vehicles. In a marathon session covering the diverse concerns of representatives from urban, suburban, rural, co... Read more »
“I’m all for bipartisanship, and certainly the filibuster … can be viewed as a mechanism that fosters, encourages, mandates bipartisanship,” said Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.). “But when there’s a tool that was designed primarily during the Jim Crow era to prevent a lot of anti-discrimination and civil rights legislation, I think it deserves a second look.” Read more »
