Results tagged “hearing”

Given the crime he stands accused of, this doesn't come as a big surprise: the AP is reporting that accused U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter James von Brunn has been ordered held without bail today in federal court. This is the first time von Brunn has been able to appear in court in person, as he was still recovering from the gunshot wounds he received from one of the museum guards on June 10. The alleged gunman reportedly decided to say a few words at the short arraignment hearing. Among them: "I'm a United States citizen, and as a U.S. naval officer I swore to protect my country. I take my vows very seriously." James von Brunn has been charged with first-degree murder and related hate crime and gun violations in the death of security guard Stephen T. Johns.

Today's Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the D.C. Voting Rights Act is couched within the committee's regular business meeting, but Chairman Joe Lieberman is speaking about the bill right now. You can stream the hearing live here. Lieberman was one of the bill's main sponsors in the Senate last time around, so he's making some predictably pro-voting rights remarks about the historic injustice of the status of the District. Earlier, Lieberman acknowledged Mayor Adrian Fenty as being present, along with someone who is apparently dressed up in some sort of colonial era costume— they were off camera, but we're going to speculate wildly that it might be DC Vote's Eli Zigas, who is better known for dressing as Abe Lincoln.

District residents are understandably disturbed by yesterday's lead revelations in the Washington Post, and the D.C. Council has gone ahead and scheduled a hearing to address environmental and health concerns. The Committee on Government Operations and the Environment hearing is set for February 10 at 11 a.m. at the John A. Wilson Building, Room 412. Committee chair Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) will hold the hearing jointly with Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who oversees WASA.

OK, we had some technical issues loading the web cast there, so apologies, we ended up missing the first 30 minutes of the hearing. (Tip to Mac users: you have to download Real Player for Mac before you can stream the hearing).

You'll remember Gohmert from a memorable performance during floor debate on the bill in 2007, when he opined that D.C.'s residents don't need a representative because the 435 members of the House are already looking out for our best interests. We made him our honorary congressional representative, and readers flooded his office with constituent requests.

We're getting a strong sense of déjà vu here at DCist. Tomorrow a House subcommittee will markup legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, reconsidering a measure that narrowly failed in the Senate in 2007. Unlike in years past, though, we've got a sympathetic president and a strongly Democratic Congress, all but assuring that the measure can pass both houses. Washington is preoccupied with two wars and a tanking economy, so the remaining question is just how quickly this will happen. The hearing kicks off at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn and will include testimony from Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. National Guard Iraq war veteran Yolanda Lee and former Assistant Attorney General Viet Dinh.