15-03-2025
DC officials, advocates make last-ditch effort to prevent the stopgap spending bill from Senate approval
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)—With just hours to go to avert a government shutdown, local DC advocates and officials are making a last-ditch effort to address a provision in the federal spending bill that would have devastating impacts on the district budget.
'The impact is almost immediate for us as District residents if this goes through,' said Ward 4 councilmember Janeese Lewis George.
Lewis George was one of several councilmembers lobbying at the Senate Hart Building Friday.
'We've been here since 9 a.m. making calls to legislative directors, trying to meet with Senators,' she explained. 'This is going to impact your day-to-day life and your families and your children and your staff.'
The spending plan, which was already approved by the House, is a continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government open for the next six months at 2024 spending levels.
Proposed federal bill would cut DC budget by roughly $1 billion, city officials say
Unlike in previous continuing resolutions, however, this CR treats the District as a federal agency, forcing the city to also spend at 2024 levels, despite already operating under its Congressionally-approved 2025 budget.
Should the CR be passed by the Senate, D.C. would need to make an immediate $1 billion cut to its local budget, which is funded by local tax dollars, not federal dollars.
'If the language (excluding DC) is omitted we will almost immediately be going into triage mode because these are ongoing payments. This is mid-year. There are payments we will not be able to make,' said Lewis George.
'I have been in a daze since the 2024 election,' said Travis Ballie, organizing director with DC Action. 'I feel angry, I feel hopeless but I feel in community and that's what's keeping me going right now.'
Ballie has been one of the many people lobbying senators since Wednesday.
'We are running at the senators in the hallways and lobbying them on the spot,' he said. 'Washington, DC is treated like a canary in a coal mine. Republicans like to experiment in the District before they take policies nationally, so this is not just about the District, this is about standing up for the next fight.'
If the CR passes, advocates said there could be other ways to address the situation.
'There are lots of potential remedies because we have a robust system of government and despite challenges with checks and balances, they still exist,' said Jasmine Tyler, Executive Director of the Justice Policy Institute. 'We could see a stand-alone piece of legislation introduced.'
That's what happened when the last CR was passed.
Congress voted on a separate piece of legislation granting DC control over the RFK Stadium site, a measure that was omitted from the CR.
Still, Tyler said the vote could have lasting impacts on policy.
'The message to DC is clear, you don't get a chance to govern yourself despite the fact we've had home rule status for five decades,' she said. 'This is part of a package approach to undermining DC sovereignty. And it's just the one that worked.'
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