Elissa Silverman

Proposed an amendment on 2026-10-06 requiring a public hearing after one year on a program letting private groups pay for extra parking enforcement. It failed 1-12, and she then voted for the bill, which passed 7-2.

October 6, 2026Supports Government Efficiency

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced a law requiring the employment services department to share unemployment claim data with the Council on request. The Council passed it 13-0 on 2022-12-20.

December 20, 2022Supports Government Efficiency

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Questioned the employment services director at a 2021-05-12 Council oversight hearing on unemployment claims. She called the agency's call center "a disaster" and pushed for a full overhaul.

May 12, 2021Supports Government Efficiency

Source: dcist.com

Voted against approving the city's sports betting and lottery systems contract on 2019-07-09. The Council approved it 7-5.

July 9, 2019Supports Government Efficiency

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted against letting the city skip normal contracting rules for its first sports betting contract. The exemption passed 8-4 on 2019-02-19.

February 19, 2019Supports Government Efficiency

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced a law requiring a yearly public guide to all city spending on job training and adult education. The Council passed it 13-0 on 2018-02-06.

February 6, 2018Supports Government Efficiency

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for D.C.'s fiscal year 2021 local budget on 2020-07-23. It passed 13-0.

July 23, 2020Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Co-introduced the Fair Elections Act, which the Council passed 13-0 on 2018-02-06. The law created a public financing program that matches small donations to local candidates.

February 6, 2018Opposes Government Spending Reduction

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for the Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Act on 2020-12-15. It passed 12-1, banned ghost guns, and let people jailed 15 years for crimes committed at ages 18 to 24 ask for shorter sentences.

December 15, 2020Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced the Reckless Driver Accountability Act on 2019-11-19. It proposed impounding cars with five or more speeding or red-light tickets unless owners took a safety class. It did not pass.

November 19, 2019Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act on 2022-12-20. It passed 13-0 and banned police neck restraints and expanded access to body-camera video.

December 20, 2022Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for the Revised Criminal Code Act on 2022-11-15. It passed 13-0 and rewrote D.C.'s criminal code for the first time since 1901. Mayor Bowser vetoed it.

November 15, 2022Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for the Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Act on 2020-12-15. It passed 12-1, banned ghost guns, and let people jailed 15 years for crimes committed at ages 18 to 24 ask for shorter sentences.

December 15, 2020Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced a bill to stop D.C. from suspending driver's licenses over unpaid court judgments from car crashes. The Council passed it 11-0 on 2018-12-04.

December 4, 2018Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted against a bill banning marijuana use in private clubs on 2016-04-19. The bill passed 7-6 and lets the city pull licenses from clubs that allow it.

April 19, 2016Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Co-introduced and voted for a law that bars landlords from turning away tenants who pay with housing vouchers. It passed 13-0 on 2020-12-15.

December 15, 2020Supports Housing Affordability

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for the Short-term Rental Regulation and Affordable Housing Protection Act on 2018-11-13. It passed 13-0 and created licenses, inspections, and penalties for short-term rentals.

November 13, 2018Supports Housing Affordability

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced the Vacant Property Enforcement Act, which the Council passed 13-0 on 2016-11-15. The law keeps a building listed as vacant or blighted until its owner gives the city proof to change it.

November 15, 2016Supports Housing Affordability

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for a bill barring disability insurers from cutting short-term disability benefits because a worker gets D.C. paid leave. It passed 12-0 on 2026-09-22.

September 22, 2026Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Publicly criticized the Council's July 2026 budget, which cut paid leave benefits and moved paid leave tax money to other programs. She called it "not honest budgeting" on 2026-07-09.

July 9, 2026Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: dc.citycast.fm

Introduced a law giving D.C. workers extra weeks of unemployment benefits during the pandemic. The Council passed it 13-0 on 2020-12-15.

December 15, 2020Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced the Wage Garnishment Fairness Act, which the Council passed 13-0 on 2018-12-18. The law limits how much creditors can take from a worker's pay and shields people earning below a living wage.

December 18, 2018Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced the Pathways to District Government Careers Act, which the Council passed 13-0 on 2018-10-16. The law gives D.C. high school graduates priority for entry-level city jobs and starts a city apprenticeship program.

October 16, 2018Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted against repealing Initiative 77, the voter-approved plan to end the lower minimum wage for tipped workers. The Council repealed it 8-5 on 2018-10-16.

October 16, 2018Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Co-introduced the Universal Paid Leave Act and voted for it on 2016-12-20. It passed 9-4 and created paid family and medical leave for most private-sector D.C. workers.

December 20, 2016Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced the Wage Theft Prevention Clarification and Overtime Fairness Act, which the Council passed 13-0 on 2016-12-06. The law lets the Attorney General and worker groups sue employers over unpaid wages.

December 6, 2016Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for the Fair Shot Minimum Wage Act on 2016-06-21. It passed 13-0 and raised D.C.'s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020.

June 21, 2016Supports Social Programs and Welfare

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced the Domestic Worker Employment Rights Act, which the Council passed 13-0 on 2022-12-20. It gave nannies, house cleaners, and other domestic workers D.C. human rights and workplace safety protections.

December 20, 2022Supports Civil Rights

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for a law letting legal permanent residents vote in D.C. local elections. It passed 12-0 on 2022-10-18.

October 18, 2022Supports Civil Rights

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Co-introduced and voted for a law that bars landlords from turning away tenants who pay with housing vouchers. It passed 13-0 on 2020-12-15.

December 15, 2020Supports Civil Rights

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted against the FILTER Act, which changes how the Board of Elections reviews proposed ballot initiatives. It passed 10-2 on 2026-10-06.

October 6, 2026

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Received the endorsement of Greater Greater Washington for the November 2026 at-large Council election on 2026-10-01.

October 1, 2026

Source: ggwash.org

Won a campaign finance appeal on 2022-12-12. The D.C. Board of Elections voted 3-0 to reverse an Office of Campaign Finance order that she repay $6,000 spent on Ward 3 polls.

December 12, 2022

Source: dcist.com

Introduced the District Government Paid Leave Enhancement Act, which adds prenatal leave and longer family and parental leave. The Council passed it 13-0 on 2022-10-04.

October 4, 2022

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Received Greater Greater Washington's endorsement for the November 2022 at-large Council election on 2022-09-14. The group urged voters to use their two at-large votes for her and Kenyan McDuffie.

September 14, 2022

Source: ggwash.org

Introduced a follow-up bill to clarify and narrow D.C.'s 2020 ban on non-compete agreements. The Council passed it 11-1 on 2022-07-12.

July 12, 2022

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Introduced the bill redrawing D.C.'s eight ward boundaries after the 2020 Census. The Council passed it 12-0 on 2021-12-21.

December 21, 2021

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Chaired the Council's three-member redistricting subcommittee, which narrowed more than 130 public map ideas to three draft ward maps by 2021-11-01.

November 1, 2021

Source: dcist.com

Introduced the Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Act, which the Council passed 12-0 on 2020-12-15. The law bars most employers from using non-compete agreements and from punishing workers who ask about their rights.

December 15, 2020

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Chaired the Council's Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, as listed in the Council's official member directory dated 2019-01-09.

January 9, 2019

Source: dccouncil.gov

Voted for the bill that legalized sports betting in D.C. on 2018-12-18. It passed 10-2.

December 18, 2018

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Received the endorsement of Greater Greater Washington for re-election to the at-large Council seat on 2018-10-10.

October 10, 2018

Source: ggwash.org

Co-introduced the Fair Elections Act, which the Council passed 13-0 on 2018-02-06. The law created a public financing program that matches small donations to local candidates.

February 6, 2018

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov

Voted for the Death with Dignity Act on 2016-11-15. It passed 11-2 and lets terminally ill patients request medicine from a doctor to end their lives.

November 15, 2016

Source: lims.dccouncil.gov