Last Call?

For Immediate Release
December 10, 2008

Senators Feinstein and Bennett Urge DC Government To Reverse Emergency
Alcohol Law

WASHINGTON, DC���Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairman of the Joint Congressional
Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), and Senator Bob Bennett, Member
of the JCCIC and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration, today urged the Mayor and City Council of Washington, DC to
reverse�� the�� emergency legislation passed last week to allow bars and
restaurants to sell alcohol until 5 am during the week of the inauguration.
���We�� have reached out to Mayor Fenty and Council Chairman Vincent Gray
because of our grave concerns about the unintended consequences of this
legislation,��� said Senator Feinstein. ���What is clearly meant as a boon to
local�� businesses�� may�� instead create tremendous problems for already
overwhelmed law enforcement agencies.���

���Security�� needs�� to�� be�� the number one priority during the Inaugural
ceremonies and extending the sale of alcohol until 5 a.m. in D.C. will only
divert law enforcement resources away from their primary focus on security
measures and crowd safety,��� said Senator Bennett.

_The text of the letter follows:_

Dear Mayor Fenty and Council Chairman Gray:

We�� are�� writing today to urge that City Council and the Mayor reverse
emergency�� legislation�� approved by the Council last week that permits
nightclubs, bars and restaurants to sell alcoholic beverages until 5 a.m.
for�� four�� nights�� during the Inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th
President.

With projections as high as 4 million people planning to visit the city
during this time period, we are deeply concerned that the plan approved by
the City Council could seriously strain law enforcement resources that need
to be focused on the large crowds and security requirements of the Inaugural
and its impact on the City.

There is great cause for celebration at this historic event.�� But we believe
that the benefits of this emergency legislation, passed with little public
notice, are far outweighed by its possible consequences.

We understand the pressures you face from the different constituencies in
your city.�� But we also know the importance of standing firm to ensure the
safety of residents, workers and visitors who will be in Washington, D.C.,
participating in this historic event.���

Sincerely,
Robert F. Bennett
���������������������������������������������� Dianne Feinstein
���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ###