Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
From site visits to committee hearings, this busy week was simply about doing the work. Day in and day out, I am committed to delivering for Ward 5 residents. Whether I’m on the sidewalk or the dais, the assignment is the same: fight for Ward 5 and build healthy communities.
This week, fighting for Ward 5 meant heading out to the 1800 block of Newton St NE to meet with residents concerned about ongoing impacts during the Burroughs Elementary School modernization. From traffic safety, to public works operations, to environmental impacts and more, we brought together multiple District agencies to address neighbors’ concerns in real-time.
It also meant heading to the dais in the Wilson building several times. On Monday, the Committee on Health passed an important bill I introduced to protect access and increase availability of the antiretroviral medication, PrEP, as we continue our work driving down rates of HIV/AIDS in the District. We are now calling on the Committee on Business and Economic Development to expeditiously move the legislation forward so that we can deliver for the thousands of residents who rely on these life-saving medications.
Just yesterday, it also meant amplifying the voices of neighbors from Ivy City as they testified at the Committee on Transportation and the Environment’s hearing on another bill I introduced that would allow the District to establish a climate resilience hub in a neighborhood that has borne the brunt of environmental injustices. It was inspiring to see so many neighbors come out in support of our efforts to right past wrongs and build for a better future.
And lastly, it meant continuing my work pushing back on federal interference as threats of the Trump administration taking over local golf courses—including the historic Langston Golf Course in Ward 5—loom large. I met with the National Links Trust, which currently facilitates the maintenance and rehabilitation of the Langston, Rock Creek Park, and East Potomac golf courses, to discuss a recent letter they received from the Department of the Interior attempting to terminate their 50-year leases of the courses. This threat is unacceptable, and in Ward 5 especially, I will do everything in my power to protect the legacy of a historic Black neighborhood and its trail-blazing golf course.
These are just a few examples of the ways I am committed to the people who call Ward 5 home. Let’s continue doing the work, together.
