Norton Alerts Mayor of Possible Shutdown, as Congressional Inaction Strengthens Case for Budget Autonomy

Norton Alerts Mayor of Possible Shutdown, as Congressional Inaction Strengthens Case for Budget Autonomy

December 13, 2011

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today alerted District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray that Congress might not pass a new spending bill before the current continuing resolution expires Friday night, which would force much of the federal government, as well as the District government, to shut down. Norton also informed the mayor that any spending deal could, once again, prohibit the District from spending its local funds on abortions for low-income women. "Outrageously, some of fiscal year 2011's worst history is repeating itself," Norton said. "The mayor and I had this same conversation in April, when the city came within an hour of being forced to shut down over a federal spending fight, which, remarkably, was averted in part by the re-imposition of the D.C. abortion rider," Norton said. "Between D.C. riders and several shutdown threats this year, the need for budget autonomy has never been clearer. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa's budget autonomy proposal brings us closer to achieving it, and is reinforced by the spectacle Congress could put the city through again."

Congress has yet to pass nine of the 12 fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills, including the one that approves D.C.'s local budget. If the federal government shuts down on Friday, the D.C. government would shut down, too, because D.C. cannot spend its own local funds without congressional approval. Norton's pending "District of Columbia Fiscal Year 2012 Local Funds Continuation Act" would prevent a D.C. government shutdown in the event of a federal shutdown by permitting D.C. to spend its local funds for the rest of fiscal year 2012, a bill similar to one Norton introduced in fiscal year 2011. Earlier this year, President Obama requested that the first fiscal year 2012 continuing resolution authorize D.C. to spend its local funds for entire fiscal year. Norton also has a bill, H.R. 980, pending to keep the District open whenever the federal government shuts down in the future.

As the spending bill reaches the final negotiations, Norton has continued to urge President Obama, Senate Democratic leadership and House Democratic leadership to use Democrats' unprecedented leverage to prevent the inclusion of anti-home-rule riders. In separate letters last week to President Obama and House Democratic leadership, Norton cited the final fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution, the debt ceiling bill, and the recent package of three appropriations bills as specific legislation that would have failed without House Democratic votes. "As we have seen all year, the House cannot pass must-pass spending bills without Democratic votes. It is time for Democrats to use their leverage to protect the District from congressional interference."

Last month, Issa offered a budget autonomy proposal, similar to Norton's pending budget autonomy bill, that would prevent future D.C. shutdowns by allowing the District's budget to take effect without congressional approval. The bill contained an anti-home-rule rider and would have attracted additional ones as it moved forward, making it impossible to accept. Issa has committed to working with the city on his proposal. By removing the District's budget from the congressional appropriations process, Members would not be able to attach anti-home-rule riders to the District's budget.