A new Republican bill that would prevent the District of Columbia from raising taxes or fees without Congressional approval will be debated, Wednesday, on Capitol Hill.
A bill introduced last week by Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, would block the District from amending its tax code, or raising any taxes or fees without explicit approval from Congress.
Currently, under Home Rule, if the D.C. Council and mayor raise taxes, Congress has 30 days to challenge or block them, or they automatically take effect.
“This would flip the process and require an affirmative Congressional action for the D.C. bill to become law,” said Ben Brasch, with City Cast DC, who joined WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli Tuesday night.
Under Comer’s bill, the D.C. Taxing Authority Review Act, Congress would have 60 days before deciding whether to approve a tax increase or decrease.
Comer, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will discuss the D.C. legislation during a markup session, along with other bills the panel is considering.
“Any infringement upon D.C.’s authority really gets people riled up,” said Brasch. “What’s more personal than the way we structure out taxes, right? If you hit someone in the pocket, it’s pretty personal.”
In a news release announcing introduction of the bill, Comer said, “Radical D.C. Democrats want to solve their spending problem by reaching deeper into taxpayers’ pockets and driving further on the path to socialism.”
Brasch said while Comer’s comment didn’t mention her by name, it clearly referred to D.C.’s Democratic mayoral nominee Janeese Lewis George.
“She is a Democratic Socialist, and she knew that this fight was inherent when she ran for office, and she has no intention of backing down, as far as our understanding,” said Brasch.
In a letter to Comer, D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson said the bill “would straitjacket District government while not adding to Congressional authority over the District. Congress already has the authority to disapprove any and every tax increase adopted by the Council.”
Council member Robert White, who is the Democratic nominee in the 2026 election to be D.C.’s next congressional delegate, replacing retiring Eleanor Holmes Norton, said: “The bill would be devastating.”
“Our budget would become a request we sent to Congress that dies the moment they ignore it. That’s not oversight. It’s a veto over our own city,” White said.
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