Norton, the DC stubborn man in Congress, clings to his seat amid signs of decline
When Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat and non-voting representative in Washington, D.C., attended a recent gala to accept an award celebrating her decades of career in Congress, she appeared to be struggling to read short statements.
Standing on stage at the arena stage in April, Norton mentioned “national environment for the arts,” and the DC Theater praised its contribution to “oppression and freedom of democracy,” and on half the road, he half spitted out the name of former board chair Beth Neuberger Schwartz as “Ethel n-e-w Berger Schwartz.”
All fell over the audience when Norton came across her speech, according to attendees. Sheen, that was it Previously reported by Washington magazineIt was even more jarring as it followed a video montage celebrating many achievements in Norton’s 30 years of public office.
It was a vivid reminder of what colleagues and friends said was a noticeable decline for Norton. This turned to law law law law leader known as DC’s “warrior on the hill.” More than half a dozen of them have spoken about the terms of anonymity to avoid publicly sloppying her, but for years, Norton has personally pushed her to decide to seek re-election, taking into account her decline.
The message doesn’t seem to sink.
“I’m going to run,” she told Capitol reporters Tuesday. Washington Post Report Members of the DC Council raised questions about their ability to do the job and said it was time for her to retire. “I don’t know why someone is asking me.”
The reason is clear to those who are closely watching her on Capitol Hill. Norton, 88 this week, is the oldest member of the family and has become frail.
At hearings she often sits quietly alone, sometimes relying on staff aides to remind her where she is. Despite being encouraged by members to do so, she rarely attends oversight committee meetings before the vote. She sometimes doesn’t seem to recognize people she’s known for years.
Norton’s story is a familiar story in Congress, scattered with towering figures staying well beyond the heights of their lives. By the time many people reach the point where coworkers are urging them to resign, they are no longer able to see that younger versions of themselves have become people they don’t recognize.
In Norton’s case, the signs have been apparent for years. Her activity on the floor of the house has declined sharply. Back in Congress, which began in 2007, Norton spoke on the floor for 41 days, but that number has dropped significantly over the past few years, according to C-Span records. So far, she spoke over four days, including Tuesday.
Recently, Norton often speaks in vague, five-word sentences, according to people who attended one-on-one meetings. One who met her recently described herself as a “shell shock” by her inability to have regular conversations without relying on staff to fill the gap.
House Democrats have described her as difficult to get to when she needs to. Public events can also be hits or misses. Even if you simply request that you read the prepared statement, sometimes it will garbled.
Norton declined to interview this article. Her spokesperson, Sharon Nichols, said the lawmaker’s policy was that Nichols was allowed to communicate only with reporters from records.
In a lengthy statement issued hours after informing reporters that she was running for reelection, Norton appears to go back some way, writing that “through thoughtful discussions with my friends, family and closest advisors, I am still considering my options for the next election cycle.”
She also said she was “one of the most effective lawmakers in Congress,” and “a tireless advocate of Home Rules and praised the right to autonomy in DC,” and blamed her as “someone who questioned her ability to serve effectively.”
Some of her colleagues are worried about her apparent hesitation about retiring, and that she is determined to run again, her well-known name in the vote, and that a reservoir of respect and affection for her in Washington would make it difficult for her to beat her.
However, Norton is unable to function independently and instead relies on a small group of aides, friends and family to help her. Her son, John Holmes Norton, helps him make personal decisions for her. Veteran Democratic strategist and longtime friend Donna Brazil checks her in at her Capitol Hill home over the weekend and helps her take care of her garden. And she is leaning hard to work with longtime chief of staff, Raven Leader.
There have been signs of decline for years. a Norton’s viral video parks her car at the wrong 45 degree angle And repeatedly bumping into the car next to her has been viewing online since 2015.
But in recent months, just like in recent election cycles, even staffers who thought they could help soldiers have been avoiding her from their 19th term run.
“As someone who deeply admires her and her, I made my peace by encouraging her to think this is her final semester,” Brazil said in an interview. “This is an opportunity to help the district write a new chapter.”
However, it is often difficult to reach a lawmaker who doesn’t know anything about life outside of his tenure. Sen. Diane Feinstein, a Democrat of California, refused to entertain the idea of ​​resignation before his term ends in 2025. Feinstein was appointed in 2023 at the age of 90.
Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was rebellious in the face of deep concerns about his age and ability to run for reelection and governance.
last month, Virginia leader Gerald E. Connolly took office at the age of 75.It will become Third house Democratsall scepter genarians will do so this year.
“We have women and men from the ’80s now. They’re all suspicious now,” Brazil said. “But it’s a generation that believes in service and moving it forward. This is the moment Eleanor decides. I hope she makes the right decision. I don’t know when she makes that decision.”
Norton’s decline coincides with a key moment in the place she has represented since 1991, with President Trump and Congressional Republicans aiming for the District of Columbia. Washington, DC’s budget blocked by Congress in March, bill to restore more than $1 billion to Washington I’ve been stagnant at home for months amidst the Republican resistance.
This week, House Republicans also moved laws revoking three local measures passed by D.C. officials, removing city autonomy. On Tuesday, they pushed through a bill that would ban non-citizen elections from voting in local elections. A third measure to force DC officials to comply with federal immigration policies was scheduled for a vote later in the week.
Monday, Muriel Bowser, mayor of DC; I refused to say She was confident in her ability to work with Norton.
“It’s really focused on ensuring that our cities are politically strong and economically strong. I think there are times when we talk about elections. We don’t choose to do that right now,” Bowser said.
Norton represents Washington as a non-voting member. But for those worried about her inability to do, it only makes her current state even more surprising. The only power a representative who does not vote in Congress has is his ability to lobby and persuade other lawmakers. One member described the job as effectively a lobbyist with office and council staff.
In her Prime, Norton was an omnipresent force that is unstoppable in Washington.
In 2007, she filed a fierce lawsuit for the District of Columbia voting rights, and when asked by a Republican colleague to take the time, she yelled at her room at home.
“I won’t give up,” Norton said. “The District of Columbia has given away 206. I will not give you the ground to those who deny the vote.”
She often competed in local conferences outside the Capitol, and in the 1990s she helped end the city’s financial crisis by transferring billions of dollars of unsubscribed pension liabilities to the federal government. Two times she led the House fight to pass the DC bill.
On Tuesday there was little sign of that passionate advocacy. When she stood up to oppose anti-family rules laws, Norton leaned over to the lecturer as she read from a printed page, simply saying, “I’ll give in,” and finished her speech.
“Like California, DC is a progressive jurisdiction under the Magazine attack,” said Deputy Maryland Democrat Jamie Ruskin, who represents the neighbouring districts and Norton’s close allies in the interview. “While there is no political resources in California or leverage for counterattacks, there are engaged citizens and non-voting representatives who are not important to the district, which are the bully pulpit that is not important.”
However, Ruskin added a gentle nudge to help Norton move on.
“Eleanor is an icon that brought the spirit of the civil rights movement from the 20th century to the 21st year, but will take on a new generation of leadership to win the nation and the battle of that day,” he said.
Kelly Mikel Williams, who works in various roles for the local and federal government and plans to challenge Norton for a second time, said that the decline of her already revealed last year should not be elected.
“Too many voters gave the pass. They sat her in her glory 30 years ago, rather than seeing what she was doing now,” he said. “I can’t imagine why she’s literally nearly 90 years old and she’s going to run again. That doesn’t make sense to me. She prefers to go out on a high note rather than washing away her legacy.”
Michael Gold Reports of contributions.
