Ward 1 Update: Hands off DC

Councilmember Nadeau speaks at a rally on Capitol Hill, in front of a crowd of people holding red Free DC signs. A white

I joined Free DC and my Council colleagues to demand an end to the federal occupation of the District and to deliver a message to Republicans in Congress: you take care of your business, and we'll take care of ours.

WARD 1 UPDATE

Hello Neighbors:

This continues to be a very difficult time for the District. Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform advanced over a dozen bills to weaken or repeal several of our local laws without any input from the communities they would impact. And this week, the House fast-tracked some of them to the floor, passing four bills aimed at our courts, youth prosecutions, youth sentencing, and high-speed chase laws.

Plans are in the works to take up nine more anti-District bills and more than 20 budget riders that would undo local laws in critical ways.

If these bills become law, they would replace our locally elected Attorney General with a presidential pick, allow 14-year-olds to be prosecuted as adults, give Congress a line-item veto on our laws, including our budget, criminalize sleeping outside or in a car, bring back cash bail, and more that would do direct harm to D.C.

Ranging from absurd to dangerous to cruel, they are a serious threat to home rule.

As with the unlawful, unwarranted, and unwelcome federal occupation of our streets, these legislative measures are not about public safety. They are about control and represent a dangerous consolidation of presidential power, and I will continue to advocate against their advancement.

The Mayor, Attorney General, and Council Chairman will testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today. I will be in attendance with several of my colleagues to show that the D.C. Council is united against all threats to our autonomy.

The District, and in particular Ward 1, has always been a place where everyone can live together in all of our diversity. But right now, our neighborhoods continue to be targeted by federal immigration agents.

Workers are afraid to go to work, but staying home is not a choice for many people with bills to pay. People are scared to go out to get groceries, and neighbors are showing up for them to deliver food and supplies.

It isn’t fair, and it isn’t right.

Thank you to everyone who is showing up to defend our neighbors. I am so grateful to every single resident across the city who is standing together for a free D.C. because that is what it has always taken, and that is what it will take to get through this.

We have resources available to help you understand your rights, and my team and I have compiled resources specific to immigrants’ rights.

My team and I are here to support you and for any questions or concerns you have. You can reach us at 202-724-8181 or via our website. Or email me directly: [email protected].

COUNCIL UPDATES

Renewing our commitment to tenant rights

Yesterday, the Council supported an amendment put forward by me, Councilmember Lewis George, and Chairman Mendelson that is a major win for tenant rights and the District’s housing ecosystem. It will make transactions predictable, encourage new investment in the District’s housing market, and preserve tenants’ ability to negotiate. Without this amendment, TOPA would have been gutted beyond repair.

Although I am proud of that work, I am dismayed by a second vote that will allow an exemption for buildings with two to four units – arguably the largest change made to TOPA in decades. It was done in less than 24 hours, without a public hearing, and literally written on the dais.

This last-minute change will have huge implications for tenants around this city, excluding potentially thousands of tenants from TOPA. Tenants will lose the right to be a part of decisions made about their homes without having any chance to weigh in. 

I am prepared to keep fighting.

RFK stadium bill

The Council yesterday passed a better stadium deal than the one we started with because of the work of my colleagues, and I truly appreciate their work on improving protections for the Anacostia River and the financial terms, adding accountability measures for housing production, and expanding community benefits.

However, for me it was not enough to justify public dollars being used for a private stadium, and it passed without my support.

Ensuring Covid vaccine access

The Council approved an emergency measure allowing pharmacists in D.C. to administer Covid vaccines without prescriptions.

The bill ensures that District residents can have continued access to safe and effective immunizations at local pharmacies, in response to recent moves by the federal government that have introduced new barriers and uncertainty to the administration of immunizations.

D.C. joins several states in making these regulatory changes, which will go into effect once the mayor signs the legislation.

BRIANNE IN WARD 1

Screenshot of video of Councilmember Nadeau speaking at protest in Mt Pleasant

Thank you to Mount Pleasant neighbors for giving me the chance to speak at a recent protest event, and a huge thanks to everyone who has been showing up night after night to stand up for our District.

Councilmember Nadeau poses for a selfie with organizers of the block party

Councilmember Nadeau poses for a selfie with an individual attending the block party

Councilmember Nadeau poses for a selfie with firefighters

It was great to see neighbors and friends at the 10th Street Block Party and celebrate our wonderful community!

Councilmember Nadeau and her family on the field with Screech the mascot behind them and a Nats staffer handing Nadeau a Nats shirt with her name and the number 1 on it. Scoreboard is in the background.

We celebrated Ward 1 Day at Nats Park! Thanks to the Nationals for hosting us! Great to have the city’s most diverse and vibrant ward represented at the ballpark!

A crowd lines the steps on the way into a school as two students with backpacks walk up the steps

Four people, including Councilmember Nadeau, pose for a photo in front of a school building

A purple carpet is laid out in front of a school as students enter

On Back to School Day, my team and I visited Ward 1 schools to welcome students to their first day, support our families, and ensure kids were safe during arrival. We were represented at Bruce Monroe – Park View, Bancroft, Cardozo, CHEC, Marie Reed, Adams and Tubman, and H.D. Cooke.

It was amazing to see the outpouring of support from the community and everyone who showed up for our students, including Free DC, EmpowerED, the State Board of Education, parents, and volunteers.

We will continue to work with DC Public Schools to ensure our students have a safe and welcoming school environment.

Councilmember Nadeau sits on a slide at a playground at Oyster Adams School

We also had an exciting ribbon-cutting at the newly renovated Adams Campus of the Oyster-Adams Bilingual School! This will be an incredible learning space for our children.

I was proud to join the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and my colleague Councilmember Charles Allen to speak with our next generation of District construction workers and tour the pre-apprenticeship program training site. This state-of-the-art training is preparing students for highly skilled, safe, productive work! #UnionStrong

COMMUNITY UPDATES

Sun Day in DC

Join a District-wide celebration of clean energy on Sunday, September 21 from 1-5 pm. Visit eight information hubs across the city to learn about the health, economic, and social benefits of going solar and about how you can power your life with solar, batteries, and EV.

Details and registration

Out of School Time Office Family Survey

If you are a parent/guardian of a school-aged child or youth (K-12th Grade), the Out of School Time Office would like to understand your needs, interests, and any barriers to your child's participation in afterschool and/or summer programming. Please take a moment to share your anonymous feedback by September 26.

OPC Water Summit

Learn about water discount programs to help lower your water bill at the Office of the People’s Counsel’s Water Summit on Monday, September 29 from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.