H. Res. 808 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

November 13, 2007. 

Whereas, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is an independent, nonprofit organization, founded 

in 1957, and comprised of elected officials from 21 local 

governments of the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia, plus area members of the 

Maryland and Virginia legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and 

the U.S. House of Representatives; 

Whereas in April 1957 forty officials from Washington area 

jurisdictions voluntarily gathered to establish an organization where they could exchange ideas and work together on regional issues such as transportation, the environment, and public safety; this organization became the 

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; 

Whereas during the past half century COG’s activities have 

touched every aspect of the life of the citizens of the National Capital Region and have improved the quality of 

life for all residents; 

Whereas COG has facilitated the development of effective responses to such issues as the environment, affordable 

housing, economic development, human services, land use 

development, public safety and emergency response, and 

transportation that have had a profound and positive impact on the National Capital Region; 
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Whereas these responses include galvanizing the region’s response to the September 11th attacks and the ongoing 

emergency preparedness programs, cleaning up of the Potomac River, spearheading a number of regional health 

programs including one of the nation’s first regional conferences on AIDS, creating the region’s express bus lane 

system, reducing air pollution through a model law and 

establishing the region’s daily air quality index, and 

founding the Foster and Adoptive Families program for 

vulnerable children and teenagers; 

Whereas COG has served as the Metropolitan Planning Organization guiding the region’s transportation planning in 

partnership with the state and local departments of 

transportation since the 1960s and has served as key advocate for increased funding for the region’s transportation needs; 

Whereas COG’s air quality committee created by the State of 

Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia, has worked successfully to reduce pollutants in the region’s air; 

Whereas COG has worked with area governments and law enforcement and emergency response officials to improve 

public safety response and coordination for over four decades, starting with the ‘‘mutual aid agreements’’ that 

began with the opening of the Wilson Bridge in 1962 and 

continuing to the present with homeland security planning and initiatives such as the regional pawnshop database that has helped recover millions of dollars of stolen 

property; and 

Whereas COG managed a Federal pilot program to provide 

treatment and support services to women who abused alcohol and drugs, and currently works with area health of-
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ficials to improve the region’s emergency preparedness by 

developing a disease and syndromic surveillance system: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives does hereby offers its sincerest congratulations to the 

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in recognition of its 50th Anniversary and its legacy of outstanding 

service to the governments and citizens of greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan region and expresses its appreciation for a job well done. 

Attest: 

Clerk.