Senate Protects D.C. Budget: Avoids $1 Billion Cuts to Vital Services

The Senate quickly passed a new law late Friday that lets Washington, D.C. keep its budget for this year. This change is important because if nothing changed, the city would have to cut about $1 billion from essential services like police, firefighters, and schools.

The bill was approved with no one opposing it and is now going to the House of Representatives, which is on break but will look at it when they get back in late March.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, said this law is all about allowing D.C. to use the money it earns from taxes. She emphasized, “No federal money is involved in this.”

After the vote, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said this is a big first step. She stressed that they need to avoid random cuts to services for the people in the nation’s capital. She noted that D.C. manages its finances well and has strong budgets.

The spotlight on D.C. surprised many city leaders and residents who hurried to protest on Capitol Hill earlier this week. Residents have been contacting senators, asking for help to change the budget situation.

Although D.C. gained local self-government in the 1970s, Congress still has control over its budget and laws. Right now, Republicans in Congress want more power over D.C.

The problem started when the House Republicans didn’t include the usual addition to allow D.C. to use its budget, which relied mostly on its own tax money. They proposed only letting the budget stay at last year’s levels, leading to huge cuts in services like police and education.

Senators couldn’t change the overall funding plan to avoid a government shutdown but took action by passing this new bill for D.C.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said this is “very good news” and urged the House to act fast. Mayor Bowser has tried to build good ties with the Trump administration, especially as D.C. generally votes for Democrats. Earlier, Trump had mentioned that he thinks Washington, D.C. would do better under complete federal control.

To address some concerns, Bowser recently took down the Black Lives Matter Plaza, which was put up in 2020 near the White House.

Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon summed it up well: “The people of D.C. deserve a fair shake.”