Author Archives: Committee

Phil in the News

Some news stories from the past week involving Chairman Mendelson:

DC Reproductive Health Discrimination Law Blocked by House Panel – “It is beyond comprehension why Members of Congress would condone discrimination in any form,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said in a statement. “That’s what this is about, and bigotry has no place in America in the 21st century.”  [The Mendelson Post]

Union Station Overhaul Doesn’t Happen Until H Street Bridge is Rebuilt.  Here’s When That Might Happen – Building a new bridge, one strong enough to support future development in all directions, is an immense undertaking, and Union Station’s second century plan is at a standstill until it’s done. The two together “will substantially transform Union Station as a transportation hub, not just in the region, but arguably on the eastern seaboard,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said Wednesday during an oversight hearing on Mayor Muriel Bowser’s commitment to the overall project.  [Washington Business Journal]

 

Phil in the News

Some news stories from the past week involving Chairman Mendelson:

United, District Reach Finals Terms on Stadium Deal – Mendelson, however, added that under the terms released Monday, a stadium feasibility report now due before the city commits to buying the land at the end of September provides “outs for both sides” should cost estimates prove wildly off the mark.  But the chairman said he thinks the odds of the project derailing now are low. “I think we have a deal.”  [The Washington Post]

Bowser Announces Final DC United Soccer Stadium Deal – “There’s no question that the District is the most logical place for the stadium,” [Mendelson] said.  [DCist]

DC Mayor, City Council Talk Further About Wooing Washington’s NFL Team – “I don’t that we have funding for a Washington football team,” Mendelson continued. “I don’t think we even have a concept at this point. So no, I don’t think that you could make the comparison.”  [The Washington Post]

DC Lawmakers Vote to Defy Congress on Billions, but Will Anyone Notice? – “This is a seminal day in the history of Home Rule,” [Mendelson] said in a statement. “While litigation continues, today’s vote moves the District forward.”  [The Washington Post]

DC Council Objects to School Renovations Costs–Again – “Twenty-four schools have gotten nothing,” DC Council chairman Phil Mendelson said. “It’s not like we haven’t spent a couple of billion dollars.”  [Washington City Paper]

 

Phil in the News

Power Shutdowns on Hottest Days Could Be Illegal in DC – “The idea is in a heat wave above 95 degrees that there’s a greater risk to human life and therefore the electricity can’t be cut off,” DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson told News4.  [NBC4]

Bowser: District Has “Very Generous Deal” on Table for United Stadium – DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), said he was upset Tuesday morning after reading about meetings between the team and economic development officials in Virginia.  “I wonder if it’s a negotiating tactic,” he said, questioning if the team was perhaps trying to accelerate the city’s land acquisition for the stadium, which many expect will require the mayor to invoke eminent domain.  [The Washington Post]

After Budget, DC Council Pushes Forward with New Legislation – Even as the council moved on from weeks of budget negotiations, the status of the city’s $13 billion spending plan remained unsettled.  Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said lawmakers would convene in private next week to decide how to press forward with implementing a ballot proposal, approved by voters, that would change the way city budgets are enacted.  [The Washington Post]

Mendo Changes Budget Schedule After Court Win – DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has scheduled a new Council meeting to vote again on the budget. That’s despite uncertainty about how the District will handle what could be its first budget passed without congressional approval.  “The victory we received last week at the Court of Appeals was not as broad as some people think,” Mendelson told councilmembers at the Council’s Tuesday breakfast meeting.  The Council will vote again on the budget on June 10, as part of its attempt to treat the budget like any other bill the Council passes. Previously, the Council has passed budgets with a single vote, then sent them on for federal approval.  [Washington City Paper]