CM Janeese Lewis George

Every government official who supports this agreement is responsible for what happens next. And District residents must hold us accountable if we fail to hold the team, developers, and ourselves to the commitments made to the residents of the District of Columbia.

The work starts now. And I feel the full weight of my vote—every commitment that needs to be kept, every resident who's counting on these promises, every risk we're taking with our public dollars.

To the Commanders' leadership: You want to be a part of this city? Hire our people. Build the affordable housing you promised. Support our small businesses.

There are real wins in this deal - wins that weren't on the table when we started. Hundreds of jobs for DC residents and returning citizens. Grocery subsidies and youth investment for Ward 7. Environmental protections and LEED Platinum certification.

With a federal government hellbent on making this deal happen, we don't always get to choose the game, but we can choose how we play it.

But we played it hard. We turned what started as corporate welfare into something that could actually put money in working people's pockets.

This is one of the hardest votes I’ve had to make as a daughter of the District. As someone who grew up in DC, I know what it feels like when development happens to us instead of for us. 🧵

Ward 4 Dispatch: A Challenging Final Budget Vote, An Improved RFK Deal, and RENTAL Act - Councilmember Janeese Lewis George This Week’s Highlights Dear Neighbors, This was a consequential and challenging legislative week on the Council. On Monday, we took our final vote on the FY26 budget, as well as a significant first vo...

This week's #Ward4 Dispatch: A Challenging Final Budget Vote, An Improved RFK Deal, and RENTAL Act ⬇️

janeeseward4.com/ward-4-dispa...

We are proud to announce that a contract agreement between the Commanders and union partners has been signed. This is a victory for the workers who keep our city running, and who deserve fairness, dignity, and a voice on the job. The agreement includes a commitment to employ a project labor agreement (PLA) and labor peace agreement (LPA) on the stadium and hotels in the mixed-use development. This binding commitment for union jobs during and after construction reflects a significant improvement over the previous commitment of only a PLA on the stadium and one hotel. With the added requirement that the mixed-use development agreements must include 51% District worker participation, we ensure that everyday Washingtonians will benefit from good jobs with livable wages, real protections, and sufficient benefits. Our fight for this agreement was one of many efforts to improve the deal before us. It reflects the values of our city: that every worker deserves respect, a living wage, safe working conditions, and a seat at the table. The strength and solidarity shown by union members throughout this process was inspiring, and this outcome would not have been possible without their determination. We stand firmly with labor, today and every day. With a commitment for labor protections now part of the RFK Development deal, we see a path to advance this agreement during today’s vote.

An update from me and @cmlewisgeorgew4.bsky.social on the RFK labor agreements 👇🏾

We secured a major win for workers and Washingtonians, representing hundreds of good-paying jobs with benefits over several years.

🚨 NEW: I’m proud to announce we've reached an agreement between the Commanders and union partners, securing hundreds of good-paying jobs with benefits during and after construction.

Full update from me and @cmzparker5.bsky.social:

Any RFK deal before the Council must have project labor and labor peace agreements as an essential part of the terms we sign onto. Read @cmzparker5.bsky.social’s and my full statement:

What is happening to the people of Gaza defies humanity.

It is doubly unconscionable so many leaders continue to turn a blind eye or deny the reality of this unspeakable starvation and killing of civilians.

None of this is justifiable. The violence must come to an end.

Project Labor Agreements and Labor Peace Agreements together are a bright line for me when it comes to my vote on RFK.

Now it’s time for the Commanders to work with our local unions to negotiate strong PLAs and LPAs that ensure good union jobs and protect workers’ rights.

And just as importantly, Labor Peace Agreements must be in place for all hotels to ensure that workers’ right to unionize will be respected and prevent labor disputes.

This is essential to ensuring that post-construction opportunities are good for District workers too.

A deal that’s good for labor is good for DC—because union jobs mean secure jobs for DC residents that pay a good wage, and a rising tide lifts all boats for all of us.

That’s why any deal on #RFK must include strong Project Labor Agreements covering all stadium construction.

Working families in DC deserve a better deal when it comes to the #RFK Stadium—especially when it comes to strengthening protections for labor conditions.

Thank you to every neighbor who engaged with us and all our agencies whose partnership made this goal possible.
 
Together, the work continues!

Yesterday's pop-up at Georgia and Emerson was our last of the summer!
 
Over the last month, our goal has been to take up positive space in neighborhoods across Ward 4 and support neighbors and small businesses with constituent services.

Thank you to everyone who made a phone call, testified at a hearing, and advocated for the needs of our community. Your voices made a difference in this budget.

While this budget was far from perfect, here are some of the investments I'm grateful to have helped secure for Ward 4 and DC.
 
I'm ready to keep fighting to make sure we deliver on our promises to DC residents and bolster support for our neighbors most in need of help.

This RENTAL Act does not create balance. It is an abandonment of our most vulnerable citizens. We can and must fix it.

While my colleagues and I sought to resolve some of this budget's gaps, too many serious holes remain in our social safety net for Ward 4 and DC's most vulnerable residents.

I cannot in good conscious vote for a budget that falls so far on the side of maintaining the status quo and increasing harm.

My statement on the Council’s final vote on the FY26 budget.

The data is clear: DC's restaurant industry is seeing rising new business starts, outpacing both Maryland and Virginia.

We need to prioritize helping restaurants adapt, rather than continuing to make sacrifices at the expense of the workers who keep DC's economy strong.

DC voters overwhelmingly approved tipped workers' right to earn a living wage.

Despite our own budget office showing robust restaurant growth since I-82, my colleagues today are proposing we keep these workers at a subminimum wage based on biased data from the restaurant lobby.

We build on the legacy of leaders like Judith Heumann, the "Mother of the Disability Rights Movement" and the first director of the DC Department on Disability Services.
 
May her lifelong advocacy continue to inspire progress for generations to come.

As chair of the Committee on Facilities, I take pride in working alongside agencies every day to support our neighbors with disabilities and advance accessibility in the workplace, transportation, health care, and education.

We also proudly celebrate #DisabilityPrideMonth in July!
 
It’s a time to honor our neighbors with disabilities, uplift their voices and stories, and reaffirm our dedication to advancing disability justice.

Today marks 35 years since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark bill that outlawed discrimination based on disability.
 
On #ADADay, we honor this milestone and renew our commitment to breaking down the barriers that people with disabilities still face.

Ward 4 Dispatch: Evaluating the RFK Stadium Proposal, Preparing for Final Budget Vote, and Host a Block Party - Councilmember Janeese Lewis George This Week’s Highlights Dear Neighbors, Last week, the Council took our first vote on the FY26 DC budget, and next week will be our second and final vote. Ahead of that, I want to let neighbors know ab...

Read my latest #Ward4 Dispatch: Evaluating the RFK Stadium Proposal, Preparing for Final Budget Vote, and Host a Block Party ⬇️

janeeseward4.com/ward-4-dispa...

The recently-released reports on the RFK campus redevelopment show that real questions remain — questions we can't afford to overlook.
 
Read more: ➡️ janeeseward4.com/news
 
Sign up to testify at next week's hearing on RFK: ➡️ lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea...