David Catania, at-large Republican D.C. City Council member and Georgetown graduate, gave a speech on campus Wednesday night which emphasized the increasing applicability of Republican ideas to urban settings.
In a recent Washington Times op-ed piece, Catania expressed his view that the Republican Party made a mistake when it “gave up on urban areas in the ‘40s.”
Through Catania’s efforts, Republican initiatives such as vouchers have been applied to substance abuse treatment and adoption programs in D.C.
According to Catania, before his voucher plan was introduced, substance abuse treatment options in the city for those who could not afford private care were nonexistent. However, the city spent “20 percent of the city budget, or $1 billion, in indirect and direct costs related to substance abuse,” he said. Catania’s voucher plan allows substance abusers to select and fund a program of their choice.
Catania also sponsored an adoption bill that gave prospective adopting parents vouchers to hire legal aid in adopting a child. According to Catania, the voucher programs for both adoption and substance abuse have been a “tremendous success.”
Catania invited Georgetown students to participate in his bid for re-election to the City Council in November and urged them to continue the promotion of Republican values in the community.
“These elections are not easy. The Republican label is the biggest obstacle I have in this city,” he said.
Catania touched on some of his platform ideas, including increased funding for both vocational education and the ballot initiative that will allow D.C. to have a District Attorney who will “enforce the law.” Catania said that he hopes this will be the “legacy [he] leave[s] for our city.”
Catania charted his course through local politics, where his activities included a stint as a volunteer in the Advisory Neighborhood Commission.
When a position in the City Council became available, Catania ran and won the race in 1997.
This was a challenge in a city where Democrats beat Republicans in voter registration by an “11-1 margin,” Catania said.
“The people of D.C. know I love this city. What I [did] is take [Republican] principles and apply them to urban settings and problems. It’s been a great journey and as long as my message is well-received I’ll continue to run,” he said.
