The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG), at its  2003 Annual Meeting, honored members of the region’s congressional delegation for their outstanding support of local homeland security initiatives.

The COG Board of Directors presented a special, one-time award to members of Congress for supporting regional emergency planning and for identifying key funding for a wide range of homeland security initiatives. Awardees included Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md), Rep. Christopher Van Hollen (D-Md), Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md), Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md), Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md), Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md), Rep. Thomas Davis (R-Va), Rep. James Moran (D-Va), Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va), Sen. George Allen (R-Va., and Sen. John Warner (R-Va).

Sen. Sarbanes, Del. Norton and Reps. Hoyer, Moran, and Van Hollen accepted their awards at the luncheon held at the National Press Club.

The Board created the award in response to the delegation’s help establishing the Office of the National Capital Region Coordination within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and securing funds for local law enforcement agencies and other first responders. “The Council of Governments has been hard at work preparing our region for any emergency that may come our way,” said Mary K. Hill, chair of the COG Board of Directors. “But our efforts would be in vein if not for the extraordinary support from members of the Washington area congressional delegation.

Michael Byrne, former director of the Office of National Capital Region Coordination in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, also received a special award from the National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council for his work with COG and other regional partners on homeland security initiatives.