US Senate takes steps to reverse inadvertently forced cuts to D.C. budget

In a rare scenario of bipartisan action, the U.S. Senate on Friday night took steps to halt a potential budgetary crisis in the nation's capital city.

Just after passing a continuing resolution that prevented a federal shutdown, the upper chamber voted to pass a measure reversing a provision contained within it that would have forced $1 billion in cuts to D.C.'s own municipal budget, as Just the News reports.

Unintended consequences reversed

The chamber had been warned by city leaders that the CR crafted in the House inadvertently reduced their annual budget by a staggering sum.

Fortunately, a push to remedy that oversight was supported by not just President Donald Trump, but also by the chairs of both House and Senate appropriations committees, led by Republicans.

Outlining what was to be achieved by the ultimately successful voice vote in the Senate, Republican Appropriations Committee chair Susan Collins said, “This bill would simply fix a mistake in the House [CR} that prevents the District of Columbia from spending its own tax dollars as part of its budget, which Congress routinely approves.”

She added, “Congress approves the authorization of the expenditure of D.C. local funds, which are paid for by D.C. tax revenues.”

A failure to rectify the error would have caused D.C. to be treated essentially as a federal agency, which would have in turn required its leaders to revert to fiscal year 2024 budget levels, a situation that would have necessitated $1.1 billion in cuts to planned city services, as WUSA noted.

Norton points to larger issue

While the measure's passage appeared to be a quick and easy fix to a problem that did need to happen in the first place, one legislator believes that it points to another issue that does require more deliberate action.

Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) expressed her gratitude for the Senate's rapid response to the District's concerns but said that the entire situation points to broader issues related to what she says is D.C.'s need for a bigger solution.

“I am grateful for the Senate for working to correct this grave error that would have resulted in the immediate cut of more than $1 billion from D.C.'s local budget six months into D.C.'s fiscal year. I will work with my colleagues to get the bill passed in thh House. This process, however, only helps to highlight the need for D.C. statehood,” she stated.

Mayor Muriel Bowser also offered her thanks to those in the Senate as well as her hope for quick passage in the House, adding that her city is “proud of our strong financial management, balanced budgets and strong bond ratings.”

Whether Norton's linkage of the budget mishap to statehood concerns will foster any renewed interest among lawmakers in the cause she has long championed, however, is something that remains to be seen but for now, the District's budget for the current fiscal year appears to be safe.