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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told Congress on Tuesday that the District is doing well across the board, with economic improvements, a drop in crime and a growing population.
“I say, without equivocation, the state of the nation’s capital is strong,” Bowser said in testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee.
But there is still concern about a huge drop since the pandemic in the number of federal workers coming into offices in D.C.
Glen Lee, the city’s chief financial officer, told lawmakers D.C. faces economic “headwinds” linked to remote work.
The District — along with many other cities — has experienced a decrease in commuters of close to 50%. That means, according to Lee, there are 100,000 to 250,000 fewer people commuting to D.C. on any given day.
“Fewer workers means less economic activity, which ultimately leads to lower tax revenue growth,” Lee said.
He added D.C. revenue over the next four years may only grow at slightly above the rate of inflation.
“This is in stark contrast to rather robust growth prior to the pandemic, and even the couple years after the pandemic, when the economy was recovering,” he said.
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Bowser has supported efforts to get more federal workers back into the office, which many Republican lawmakers have called for.
The leaders of President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, have called for federal workers to return to the office five days a week or risk losing their jobs.
Crime down near U.S. Capitol
Bowser told lawmakers violent crime is down 57% on Capitol Hill and down 56% in the Navy Yard area.
Crime has been a concern for residents, including lawmakers.
Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, of Texas, was carjacked last year in the Navy Yard neighborhood, less than a mile from the Capitol.
In her testimony, Bowser cited some of the crime figures she mentioned at a Monday news conference, including that carjackings are down nearly 50% this year.
Noting the reduction in crime in areas near the Capitol, Bowser said similar trends are being experienced across D.C.
“We’re committed to continuing those downward trends,” Bowser said, adding there’s a proposal to increase the D.C. police department’s budget by 13%.
Bowser said D.C. is closing in on its goal of getting back to employing 4,000 police officers. She also said she expects D.C. to be fully prepared for security and other matters related to next month’s presidential inauguration.
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