I am excited to share some important updates with you about actions that we have taken at the Council over the last two weeks to protect workers, support families and businesses, and operate the District Government more efficiently. I also want to make you aware of the Ward 2 Community Budget Meeting that I will host later this month. My goal is to provide Ward 2 residents with an opportunity to share their budget ideas and concerns directly with me.Finally, I would like to wish everyone a very happy Black History Month. I am grateful for the many contributions of Black Washingtonians, both past and present, to our educational, political, social and cultural institutions here in Washington, D.C. Be sure to follow me on social media as I celebrate and share some of the remarkable history that can be found in Ward 2 throughout the month!

Neighbors – thank you for staying engaged and committed to receiving your vaccines as soon as possible. On Friday and Monday, I participated in oversight roundtables to review the DC Health’s roll-out of the vaccine program. Due to the constructive feedback that I received from many of you, I was able to follow up with DC Health and request updates in the system. To date, the District has vaccinated over 35,000 District residents, and I will continue to work with DC Health to improve the sign-up program.

Neighbors – thank you for staying engaged and committed to receiving your vaccines as soon as possible. I want to provide an update from what we know this week including: Who is Eligible for an Appointment, How to Obtain an Appointment, Updates to the Portal and Coronavirus Call Center, and more.

I am writing to reflect on the exciting week we have had as we welcomed President Jospeh R. Biden to the White House and watched as Vice President Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, first Black American, and first Asian American to hold her position. I am also writing to provide some updates from the Council over the last two weeks.

I know residents are eager to make an appointment to receive a vaccine. Many of you received an update from DC Health regarding the availability of vaccination appointments on Friday. On Friday, January 22, at 9:00 a.m., 740 additional appointments will become available to any DC resident who is 65 and older or any individual who works in a health care setting in DC.

During this exciting time, I am honored to serve as your Councilmember. I will be proudly watching from home during this significant moment in history as the President and Vice President, the first woman and the first Black and Indian American to hold this position, take the Oath of Office. I ask that you join me in watching the Inauguration virtually and avoid the downtown area due to the ongoing public health emergency and security concerns.

On this #MLKDay, we celebrate a hero who taught us that love and respect have no bounds, and we honor his example and sacrifice with our actions. Today, let's recommit ourselves to achieving his greatest dream of freedom, justice, and equality for all.

I know residents are eager to make an appointment to receive a vaccine. Many of you received an update from DC Health regarding the availability of vaccination appointments on Friday. Additional appointments were made available on Saturday for seniors in Wards 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8. I understand the frustration that Ward 2 residents were not included for these additional appointments. DC Health did not initially provide an explanation and I have relayed these concerns about communications going forward.

The 59th Presidential Inauguration will take place this Wednesday, January 20, 2021. As your Councilmember, I am honored to serve you during this significant moment in our nation’s history. On Wednesday, I will be proudly watching from home as President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and the first Black and Indian American to hold this position, take the Oath of Office. I ask that you join me in watching the Inauguration virtually and avoid the downtown area due to the ongoing public health emergency and security concerns.

In a recent article, the Editorial Board at the Washington Post highlighted Councilmember Pinto’s recent legislation to honor slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi by symbolically naming a road in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in his honor and discussed the need for government policy and actions to be “consistent with American and global values of respect for the dignity of human life and human rights.” To read the full article, click here.