Introduction of the District of Columbia National Guard Commanding General Residency Act
Floor Speech
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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 the District of Columbia, just as States and territories can require that the top official of their National Guard reside within their State or territory.
The D.C. National Guard is a Federal entity. Currently, the Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard is not required to reside in the District. 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 these Federal officials face. Additionally, the Mayor of D.C., unlike the Governors of the States and territories, cannot deploy the National Guard, making residency of the Commanding General of the National Guard that much more important, though my District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act (H.R. 657) would give the Mayor the authority to deploy the D.C. National Guard. The appointment of the Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard is made by the President, not the Mayor, whereas the top official of the National Guards in the States and territories are usually appointed by the Governor. All of these are compelling reasons why the Commanding General of the D.C. 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 Federal officials serving D.C. exclusively to reside in the District. For example, my District of Columbia Federal Officials Residency Equality Act (H.R. 3785, 116th Congress) would require the Federal district court judges, Federal circuit court judges, U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals for the District to live in D.C. I have also previously introduced a bill (H.R. 4184, 116th Congress) 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 the District.
With the nomination of the current D.C. National Guard Commanding General, Major General William J. Walker, to be the House Sergeant at Arms, this bill is more timely than ever. Moreover, the attack of 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 at least somewhat 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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