WASHINGTON — Political rivals D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and her predecessor D.C. Council member Vincent Gray sparred over health care spending and policy priorities Thursday during a Council hearing on Bowser’s recently introduced spending plan.
Bowser said her 2018 fiscal year budget, which she released Tuesday, includes a “road map for inclusive prosperity.” But Gray panned Bowser’s proposal.
“I can’t reconcile the budget’s title with the actions that are proposed in the budget,” said Gray. “A budget is supposed to be a policy document that reflects the citizens’ priorities, but unfortunately this budget doesn’t represent D.C. values.”
After Bowser defeated Gray in the 2014 Democratic mayoral primary, Gray ran for the Council winning back his old seat two years later. And he is considering challenging Bowser again next year.
But during Thursday’s hearing, it looked as if the two were already back on the campaign trail.
Bowser and Gray spoke over each other several times and had pointed exchanges.
“This budget is not a road map to inclusive prosperity,” said Gray. “In my opinion, it is a path that leads to nowhere.”
Gray criticized Bowser over her plan to replace United Medical Center in Southeast, which is owned by the District. Gray, who chairs the Council’s health committee, wants to build a new hospital and said Bowser’s budget does not include enough money for the project.
“It doesn’t do anything to improve health access and outcomes for residents living on the east end of the city,” Gray said. “That is grossly unfair to a quarter of the city’s population.”
“Our commitment is clear,” Bowser responded. “We want to build a new hospital east of the river.”
“It’s not clear to me,” Gray said. “I don’t see where the progress is, quite frankly.”
Gray proposed spending about $300 million to replace the hospital in 2014 while he was still mayor, but he did not receive enough support from the Council to get it done.
Bowser’s budget includes $180 million, a figure Gray said is not nearly enough for a serious proposal.
“You can’t build anything for $180 million,” he said. “It’s just a disingenuous commitment, if we can call it that.”
The Council will continue working on the budget in the coming weeks and is expected to vote on a final spending plan late next month.
