Watch: D.C. House Member Appears to Park Car Illegally While Vying for Transportation Committee Chair

Eleanor Holmes Norton on 4/26/19 "AC360"
Screenshot
Wendell Husebø

Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-D), 84, appeared to park her vehicle illegally on Capitol Hill Monday, as she is being considered to chair the House Transportation Committee.

The video, tweeted by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), showed what appeared to be a parking attendant in a suit attempting to encourage Norton to navigate the diagonal parking spaces.

After reversing multiple times and without properly aligning the car in the space, Norton reportedly abandoned her car perpendicular to the curb and walked away, likely blocking the nearby SUV from leaving its space.

Massie revealed in a tweeted thread that Norton, who has represented D.C. residents since 1991, may be appointed to the top spot on the Transportation Committee.

Massie’s tweet included a RollCall article detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) intention to potentially replace retiring current chair Rep. Peter A. DeFazio with Norton or Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA):

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., both formally declared their candidacy for the top Democratic spot on the committee, with Norton announcing her bid hours after DeFazio’s retirement announcement Wednesday and Larsen formally announcing Thursday.

DeFazio is chairman of the panel. Norton and Larsen, along with Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas who is also retiring after this Congress, are the next most senior Democrats on the 66-member committee, which has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation as well as infrastructure including clean water and wastewater, pipelines, flood damage and federal real estate.

Both are chairs of arguably the most powerful subcommittees on the panel: Norton chairs the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, while Larsen chairs the Aviation Subcommittee.

It is unknown if Norton’s improper parking procedure will hinder her ability to compete with Larsen’s challenge for the committee chairmanship.

Larsen is 56-years-old and was first elected in 2001.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø

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