The U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term funding bill Tuesday to prevent a government shutdown, but D.C. leaders say it will have devastating effects in the District and force police and teacher layoffs.
House Republicans’ bill to keep the government funded through Sept. 30 calls for D.C. to revert back to its fiscal year 2024 budget. The continuing resolution treats D.C. like a federal agency rather than recognizing the District’s 2025 budget, which already was approved by Congress, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
“We are not a federal agency. We are a city, county, state all at once,” Bowser said at a news conference Monday. “Our budget was balanced and approved, and if we go back to fiscal 2024 levels, we would be forced to reduce spending by $1.1 billion in only six months.”
The resolution would require D.C. to cut more than $1 billion in spending over the next six months, which could lead to hiring freezes, layoffs and cuts to services, Bowser said.
“If the Congress goes through with this action, it will work against a priority that President Trump and I share, and that is to make Washington, D.C., the best, most beautiful city in the world,” she said.
Bowser and every D.C. Council members went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to plead for lawmakers to take the D.C. provision out of the continuing resolution, but they were unsuccessful.
Speaking on the House floor on Tuesday, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland came to D.C.’s defense.
“This bill requires the District of Columbia, for instance, to take a $1.1 billion cut, not out of federal funds but out of their own funds that they tax their people,” he said. “It defunds the police. I wish I had more time to say how bad this bill is. Vote no.”
Bowser called on Congress to fix the language in the bill and emphasized the cuts wouldn’t save money for the federal government.
“The District of Columbia raises and spends its own money just like every other state,” she said Monday.
“It’s not really savings because these are D.C. dollars, not federal dollars. Most folks unfortunately think that D.C. is funded by the federal government. We are not,” D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson said Monday.
Bowser and D.C. City Administrator Kevin Donahue said if the bill passes, the city would have to implement cuts within five days of the resolution’s passage, starting with hiring freezes. Then, they would look at which unfilled positions can be cut.
Ten D.C. agencies that make up 70% of the local funds budget would likely face the biggest cuts:
- Metropolitan Police Department
- Fire and Emergency Medical Services
- D.C. Public Schools
- D.C. Public Charter Schools
- Debt service
- Department of Health Care Finance
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
- Department of Human Services
- Department of General Services
- Department of Behavioral Health
The sudden slash in spending would also impact D.C.’s capital projects and downgrade the city’s bond rating, resulting in more expensive borrowing costs, Bowser said.
Officials said the bill would mean about $600 million in cuts to projects for roads, bridges, sidewalks, alleys, road safety, school improvements, WMATA funding and planned improvements to Capital One Arena.
“Being forced to cut police officers, teachers, bus/rail service, and first responders would contravene the Trump Administration’s vision of making DC a world class national capital,” Bowser said.
What DC officials are trying to do after the House vote
The mayor said late Tuesday that city officials are now turning to the Senate for a change to the bill.
“The proposed $1 billion cut to DC’s budget is senseless, reckless and would have devastating consequences for our nation’s capital, impacting public safety, education, and essential services,” a statement from the mayor’s office said. “We will continue to fight tirelessly in the Senate to ensure the District can continue to operate under our congressionally approved FY25 budget.”
The next step for the bill is passage through the Senate and being signed by President Donald Trump before midnight Friday.
The Senate could decide to take D.C.’s budget out the bill. If they did so, that would require another House vote, which could delay the continuing resolution to keep the government open.
Bowser said she appealed directly to the White House but so far there’s been no action.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
