Advocates express concern to lawmakers over proposed $1 billion cuts to DC budget
WASHINGTON () — As the U.S. House of Representatives gets ready to vote on a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), on Tuesday, some D.C. officials and advocates are sounding the alarm about the impact it could have on the city.
The GOP proposal would slash about $1 billion in funds from the District's local budget. Elected officials in D.C. said those cuts could include funding to first responders and public and charter schools.
Proposed federal bill would cut DC budget by roughly $1 billion, city officials say
At Monday's House Rules Committee hearing, several advocates with the newly-formed organization, Free DC, showed up to listen and speak with lawmakers. The group advocates for D.C.'s self-governance.
'We need to reveal to these lawmakers what it is they're doing and that there's a human face behind it,' Keya Chatterjee, Free DC's executive director, said.
The House Rules Committee voted down an amendment proposed by D.C.'s nonvoting Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton that would have added language to the CR that would allow D.C. to continue operating under its Congressionally-approved FY2025 local budget.
'What they're trying to say is that we can't spend our own money,' Chatterjee said. 'To have attacks on our schools, on our fire departments, it's very personal for all of us in D.C.'
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House Democrats on the Rules Committee echoed those arguments at Monday's hearing. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Ma.) said the bill 'kind of pulls the rug from under them,' referring to the District.
But Rep. Tom Cole (R-Ok.) said the changes were 'not substantive.'
D.C. budget officials said if the CR passes as currently written, that could mean an immediate hiring freeze followed by layoffs to core services.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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