Another Tea Party
Carrying the District of Columbia’s “No Taxation Without Representation” rallying cry back to Boston, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) will headline two events today, including a “Second Boston Tea Party,” to promote D.C. statehood. And Norton is scheduled to address Democratic National Convention attendees on Thursday evening at the Fleet Center. [IMGCAP(1)]
The tea party, sponsored by Norton, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams (D) and the D.C. Democratic State Committee, will take place at 11 a.m. at the Boston Children’s Museum, but with plenty of food, drink and live music, expect a slightly different atmosphere than at the original tea party in 1773.
Beginning at noon, attendees will hear from Norton and Reps. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.). Before the party begins, attendees can join Norton for a screening of “Bring Democracy Home,” a new video put out by the statehood lobbyists at DC Vote that highlights the service and sacrifice of D.C. residents who have or are serving in the armed forces. The 60-second video will also air on cable channels in Boston all this week and in New York during the Republican National Convention.
“We are releasing this video to ensure the American people understand that residents of our nation’s capital are still completely disenfranchised,” said Ilir Zherka, executive director of D.C. Vote.
Butterfield’s Assignments. Newly elected Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) was appointed to the Small Business and Agriculture committees last week, posts formerly occupied by his predecessor, Frank Ballance (D), who resigned.
“During the campaign, the issue that people talked with me about most was the need for more good-paying jobs,” Butterfield said in a statement. “Small businesses are key ingredients to creating those jobs.”
On Agriculture , Butterfield will work on policies including farm security, rural economic development and crop insurance. According to Butterfield, agricultural issues are especially important to life in eastern North Carolina. “It’s certainly a great place to fight for the tobacco buyout our farmers need this year,” he said.
The Revolving Door. Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) announced Friday that his office had gained one veteran policy aide and lost another.
Next month, Sally Canfield will join Hastert’s team as a health care policy adviser. A former top aide to Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.), she returns to the Hill after having served as deputy chief of staff for policy at the Homeland Security Department. Before that she served in a senior post at the Health and Human Services Department.
Canfield takes over for Darren Wilcox, who recently left Hastert’s shop for a lobbying post at the Dutko Group. Also moving to K Street is Tim Kurth, who is vacating his position as a Hastert policy adviser to join the Lundquist Group.
— John McArdle, Liza Gutierrez and Ben Pershing