(The Center Square) – The District of Columbia’s legislative neighbors are going to bat for it as the U.S. House of Representatives appears to have stalled funding for the nation’s capital.
Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Warner, D-Va., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., are pressing Republican House leadership to “take up and pass” legislation to “allow” the district “to use its own local funding.”
The lawmakers say it has been two months since the Senate passed the legislation, which was introduced and co-sponsored by the group – underscoring that the legislation passed the upper chamber unanimously.
The House initially passed a funding bill for the district to return to previous spending levels from 2024. The bill would reduce the budget by $1.1 billion, which Mayor Muriel Bowser and the senators warn could lead to the district laying off police and teachers.
The Senate ultimately passed an updated funding bill to include the $1.1 billion.
President Donald Trump has also expressed support for the spending measure.
Kaine underscored the bipartisan support for the legislation and echoed Bowser’s warning.
“Republican House leadership’s decision to stall a bipartisan bill – which even President Trump supports – to allow D.C. to spend its own money is ridiculous and wrong,” said Kaine. “Law enforcement officers’ salaries and the quality of D.C.’s public schools and transportation have hung in the balance for months because of the House’s failure to act. It’s time for Speaker Johnson to do his job, and bring this bill up for a vote like he promised.”
Alsobrooks, a freshman senator, highlighted the potential economic impact on the region, citing federal layoffs.
“I worked with my fellow DMV senators to pass a bipartisan solution to the $1.1 billion budget cuts in the disastrous CR,” said Alsobrooks. “It has been waiting on the House’s vote for two months. At a time when our neighbor D.C. is experiencing economic hardship and hundreds of civil servants, many of whom are Marylanders, are losing their jobs in the district, we need to make sure this budget fix gets passed.”
The senators’ pressure comes on the heels of Bowser announcing plans to build a new stadium for the Washington Commanders, relocating them back into the district at a cost of $2.7 billion. The project would include $2.5 billion worth of subsidies, according to the stadium financing blog Field of Schemes.
Despite the stadium project, House members haven’t indicated whether the proposed project could potentially be behind the funding pause.
In February, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn, introduced legislation to repeal the district’s Home Rule Act after the lawmakers said the legislation was due to the “mayor and City Council’s failure to prevent violent crime, corruption, and voting by noncitizens.”
