D.C. Mayor Urges Congress to Act as Cuts Loom

WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed her frustration Tuesday as significant cuts to city services loom, with the House of Representatives yet to act on a crucial bill. More than five weeks have passed since the U.S. Senate approved legislation aimed at protecting the District from major budget reductions, but the clock is ticking as D.C. prepares to host World Pride and three FIFA World Cup games this summer.

The city anticipates around $400 million in cuts to services, despite federal law allowing D.C. to increase spending by 6%. Bowser warned that without congressional intervention, the consequences will be severe, affecting essential services, including police overtime during the busy summer months.

“This is not something that D.C. government has done wrong or a case where we don’t have the money to pay for services,” Bowser stated. “We need a congressional fix to prevent a situation where we don’t have the overtime necessary to ensure adequate police presence for national events.”

The city administrator must submit a list of budget cut recommendations by Friday, which could include furloughs and closing some government facilities. Approximately 35,000 D.C. government employees may be impacted by these changes.

Bowser mentioned that agencies could apply for waivers to avoid some of the cuts, but when asked how many had submitted requests, she replied, “We are not there just yet.”

The House of Representatives returns from recess in about a week, but it is unclear when, or if, they will address the bill that could save D.C. from potentially devastating reductions.