WASHINGTON — It’s going to be a while before there’s any more snow on the ground, but Congress is still talking about sledding on Capitol Hill.
The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed a measure that would effectively allow sledding on the Capitol grounds. The measure, an amendment to an appropriations bill, doesn’t reverse the ban on sledding, but instructs the Capitol Police to ignore enforcement rules.
The ban on sledding had been around for a long time, but until this winter it had been a long time since anyone had enforced it. Rep. Sam Farr, D-California, who introduced the amendment to allow sledding, said in a statement the impetus to enforce the ban came from some members of Congress. Residents organized “sled-ins” to defy the ban.
“Children with sleds are not a threat to our national security,” Farr said. “The Capitol does not belong to Congress; it belongs to the People. Families should feel free to come and enjoy their Capitol on a snow day without fearing of being turned away.”
