'Never give up': DC's Eleanor Holmes Norton keeps charging against the odds. She has for years.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton has been the lone voice in Congress for Washington, D.C. since 1991.
And as the sole federal representation for the capital city, she has made granting statehood for the district her defining goal.
Norton, a Democrat, and other local D.C. leaders have long pushed to make Washington a state and grant the district’s residents voting representation in Congress. Norton serves now as a nonvoting delegate.
A D.C. statehood bill has yet to be taken up for vote in the Senate, where a formidable 60-vote threshold looms. Several Republicans have opposed granting statehood over questions of constitutionality and the capital city’s largely Democratic demographic (about 77% of resident voters are registered Democrats).
With President Donald Trump, who has said previously that statehood for the district will "never" happen, back in the White House and the GOP in charge of both chambers of Congress, the odds of achieving a 51st state appear slim at best.
Yet, heading into her 18th term, Norton, who has faced adversity throughout her time in office and a civil rights activist before that, is unfazed.
Not only has she represented Washington for decades, Norton, 87, is a third generation Washingtonian, born and raised in the nation's capital, who has watched the area grow and change.
“Oh, it's changed a great deal,” she said. “Of course, the aspiration we have in the district is for statehood. Although we've gotten that passed twice, that's always the most difficult thing to achieve for any jurisdiction.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Who paved the way for you?
Oh, I would say Shirley Chisholm has probably paved the way for me. She was the first African American woman elected to Congress. She has been a real role model for women like me in the Congress.
What’s been your proudest moment?
My proudest moments are getting my statehood bill passed twice in the House of Representatives. Nothing could be more important than that for the residents of the District of Columbia
How do you overcome adversity?
The only way to overcome adversity is working hard. You can't sit by and mourn or simply regret. You simply have to work hard to achieve what it takes to overcome adversity − particularly if you represent the District of Columbia.
What is your definition of courage?
Courage is just, when it comes to the House of Representatives, is just keep charging until you get what you achieve. Don't give up.
Along with not giving up, do you have any other mantras that you live or work by?
I suppose the only other one would be keep charging ahead. It's not enough not to give up. It's important to have an affirmative policy of moving ahead, and so I would say that would be the other one.
Is there any advice you would give your younger self?
I'm not sure I have any advice for my younger self, because I try to keep going. But I guess it would be to keep moving ahead and to not be disappointed.
Was there a piece of advice or something you learned from your mother or grandmother then?
I think particularly if you represent the District of Columbia, one of the things you learn from your family is never to give up. Because the district is always behind other jurisdictions. So, never give up is something I learned from the time I was very young, living here in the District of Columbia.
Do you have a favorite Washington sports team?
I think it would be our football team.
And why is that?
They symbolize what we're trying to achieve in the district. They keep winning, and that means we might follow them by winning.
What are you most looking forward to in your next term and the next Congress?
Well, the most important thing I'm looking forward to is achieving statehood for the District of Columbia.
Do you think that will happen under Trump and a Republican controlled Congress?
Oh, sure.
We need the requisite number of people in the House and the Senate. It's hard to get statehood passed, but it's something I look forward to, and I have been making progress on, having gotten it passed twice in the House and had a hearing in the Senate.
Who are the other members of Congress who have been at your side supporting your push for statehood?
Hakeem Jeffries, who is the leader of the (House) Democrats, has been very helpful when we've been able to get it passed twice in the House.
What’s something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I don't think I can – I've been in Congress too long to surprise anybody about me at this point.