photo by Rich Renomeron
From Mayor Muriel Bowser:
“We thank Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins as well as Vice Chair Patty Murray, Senator Angela Alsobrooks, Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Chris Van Hollen, and Senator Mark Warner for advancing a measure to restore DC’s Fiscal Year 2025 approved budget. Senate approval today is a major first step as we continue working with the House of Representatives on final passage to ensure critical services provided in the Nation’s Capital, including our police officers, firefighters, teachers, medical services and hospital network, aren’t haphazardly cut in the middle of the fiscal year. DC is proud of our strong financial management, balanced budgets, and strong bond ratings. Thank you to DC residents and schoolchildren, businesses, and our neighbors and friends for highlighting the certain consequences of blocking our local and approved spending. As we work toward final passage, we will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the DC Council, Chief Financial Officer, and Attorney General to meet our obligations, provide services, and invest in our growth.”
From Council Chairman Mendelson:
“DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson issued the following statement following today’s vote on the Senate’s passage of a continuing resolution:
“It is disappointing that on the narrowest of votes the District has become collateral damage in a national, partisan fight. Even though Senators on both sides of the aisle have come to understand that the District cannot be treated like a federal agency, the partisan push prevailed to get a last-minute CR without any amendments.
“We’re hopeful that Senator Susan Collins’ (R-ME) standalone bill will solve the problem for the District. But we won’t know for sure until the House comes back after March 24. And even then, there are risks. We appreciate her willingness to stand with the District.
“Without Senator Collins’ bill the District is faced with a requirement to limit annual spending to FY 2024 levels – with only half-a-year left to do this. No program can be left untouched if we are to suddenly cut $1 billion. Congress has changed the rules in the middle of the game, so to speak, because twice last fall Congress gave us the go-ahead to spend at FY 2025 levels. This is not responsible governing. This fiscal irresponsibility is heightened by the fact that the cut in spending is not accompanied by a reduction in revenues. We will end the fiscal year with $1 Billion in program cuts while having a $1 Billion surplus.
“District spending comes from locally-generated revenues, not federal dollars. So Congress is not saving federal dollars. There is no benefit, anywhere, to the District from this CR. It is disheartening, frustrating, and damaging for the District.
“My office is working with the Mayor to garner House support for Senator Collins’ bill. We’re also working together to see how we can address anti-deficiency while mitigating cuts. I am confident that we will find a solution to this problem that has been handed to us by Congress.”
From Councilmember Christina Henderson:
“Today the US Senate unanimously approved a bill to allow DC to continue spending its local dollars at fiscal year 2025 levels. Thank you to Senators Collins, Van Hollen, Warner, Kaine, Thune, Alsobrooks, and Schumer for their quick work to get this bill over the finish line. I urge the House of Representatives to take up this bill immediately. Without this fix, the continuing resolution upends 20 years of precedent and would require DC to cut over $1 billion in local funding six months into the fiscal year. This saves the federal government nothing, but would immediately harm public safety, public education, and human services.
“I must also thank the residents of DC and our allies across the country who made thousands of calls to members of Congress this week, sent emails, and walked the halls sharing the story of the very real impact this continuing resolution would have on DC and our region.
“Our work is not done yet.”
From Councilmember Allen‘s office:
“The following statement is from DC Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) following the US Senate’s vote to prevent a government shutdown. The Senate did not amend the House’s continuing resolution to avoid cuts to the District’s budget, but it did pass separate legislation doing so, sending Senator Collins’ bill reversing the decision to cut $1.1 billion in local money back to the House. If the bill is not passed, Congress’s restrictions on how local tax dollars are spent could cut funding for schools by at least $345 million, police and fire by $133 million, DC Water by $50 million, WMATA by $210 million, and human services by $178 million.
“With the passage of the continuing resolution by both chambers, $1.1 billion in local tax dollars have been cut from DC’s current year budget. A path remains to right this injustice, and the House must now act to pass Sen. Collins’ bill. The fact the Senate acted on the District’s behalf speaks to the impact of the incredible advocacy of thousands of DC residents, including many parents who showed up in person with their children in tow. It also speaks to the senseless injustice District residents and employees continue to endure as second-class citizens in our own country, having to walk the halls of Congress in our backyard to plead for our own funding to pay for our own schools, police, parks, and libraries.
Thank you to Sen. Collins and Sen. Murray, as well as our regional delegation of Sens. Alsobrooks, Van Hollen, Warner, and Kaine for their vocal support on our behalf and leadership. We must now turn our advocacy back to the House. The Council, Mayor, and Attorney General are working together to fix this crisis and avoid as much impact on District services and personnel as possible, but we need District residents to continue to share how these cuts would impact them.”
Facts About the District’s Budget:
Like any other state, DC’s budget is mostly funded through local tax revenue and fees. About 25% of our budget is from federal programs, largely Medicaid and Medicare, in line with or lower than most US states.
The DC Council and Mayor have collaborated to pass 28 consecutive balanced budgets.
DC continues to have one of the strongest bond ratings of any municipality in the country and has fully funded its pensions.
DC is the only jurisdiction in the nation that budgets out four years on the operations side and six on the capital side to ensure responsible spending.”
From Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton‘s office:
“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement after the Senate voted to pass the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government and separately passed a standalone bill giving the District of Columbia the authority to spend its local funds for Fiscal Year 2025 at its locally-enacted levels.
“I am grateful for the Senate for working to correct this grave error that would have resulted in the immediate cut of more than $1 billion from D.C.’s local budget six months into D.C.’s fiscal year. I will work with my colleagues to get the bill passed in the House,” Norton said. “This process, however, only helps to highlight the need for D.C. statehood.”
D.C. will also continue to be exempt from a federal government shutdown for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2025. The terms and conditions in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations law, upon enactment of the CR, are automatically extended until Fiscal Year 2026, and this includes D.C.’s shutdown provision.”
STAY TUNED.