House GOP stalls DC funding fix leaving city in budget limbo

Hopes that the House would vote this week on legislation to restore Washington, DC’s authority to spend its own locally raised tax dollars have been dashed, as Republican leaders confirmed the measure won’t come to the floor before the chamber’s two-week recess.

Speaker Mike Johnson spoke Monday with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to discuss options for moving the legislation forward, according to Politico, but to no avail. Three people familiar with the House schedule confirmed the bill will not be considered in the coming days.

At issue is language normally included in federal appropriations bills that allows DC to access and allocate its own funds. That provision was left out of a March stopgap bill introduced by Johnson, a move that puts the District on track to face a potential $1.1 billion shortfall unless Congress acts.

The Senate already passed a fix with bipartisan support, including from Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and House counterpart Tom Cole (R-Okla.). Even former President Donald Trump weighed in on social media, urging the House to vote on the bill “IMMEDIATELY.”

But Johnson, balancing internal GOP dynamics and a packed legislative calendar, has not advanced the measure. Conservative Republicans have voiced opposition, inaccurately framing the fix as a giveaway of federal funds. House leaders have floated the idea of attaching conservative policy riders to win support, though doing so could jeopardize Democratic backing in both chambers.

City officials remain in limbo, facing tough decisions about budget cuts to public safety, infrastructure, and education as the impasse continues.