On Friday, just minutes after passing a continuing resolution that would fund the government for six more months, U.S. senators voted to pass a bill that would reverse a provision to the spending package that would have required more than $1 billion in cuts to D.C.’s budget.
The “District of Columbia Local Funds Act of 2025” was endorsed by Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-M.E.) and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D), and passed by a voice vote.
Collins said the legislation would correct the situation that arose from the broader package to prevent a government shutdown and assured, “There are no federal dollars involved.”
Van Hollen said the proposed cuts to the D.C. budget would’ve stripped District residents of their ability to make decisions on where their tax money goes.
“The House provision would have saved the federal taxpayers zero money, but what it did was prevent the District of Columbia from spending its own money on services that it thinks are important,” Van Hollen told WTOP in an interview following the vote.
“Without this bill, we would have seen cuts to police, cuts to schools, cuts to firefighters,” he added.
In approving the legislation, the Senate allows D.C. to keep its 2025 budget of $21 billion instead of rolling back $1.1 billion to its 2024 budget. The original government spending package would’ve treated the city of D.C. like a federal agency, returning it to the 2024 budget within the next six months.
In a statement, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the passing of the fix plan “a major first step as we continue working with the House of Representatives.”
“DC is proud of our strong financial management, balanced budgets, and strong bond rating,” she wrote. “As we work toward final passage, we will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the DC Council… to meet our obligations, provide services, and invest in our growth.”
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, however, noted that it was “disappointing” that the legislation was passed by a narrow vote, making the District “collateral damage in a national, partisan fight.”
“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,” Mendelson added.
In an interview with WTOP, Mendelson added that the council and Mayor Bowser will spend the next 10 days making sure members of the House take up the bill, “they take it up quickly, and, of course, they take it up positively.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the D.C. fix plan, saying, “This legislation will make sure that we take care of the residents of the District… This legislation is very good news for the residents of the District of Columbia, and I am happy we are passing this bill.”
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) testified before the vote on the bill that “these funds that have been cut are tax dollars that have literally already been paid by D.C. residents. And all this bill does is to continue to ensure that D.C. receives what it is owed.”
The cuts to D.C.’s budget would have greatly impacted public education, public safety and human services, At-Large D.C. Council member Christina Henderson explained to WTOP and in a viral video on X.
In a two-part video series, Henderson did a crash course on how D.C.’s budget functions and how the proposed provision in the government spending package would’ve affected the city.
House lawmakers are on recess but expected to consider it when they return on March 24.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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