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Norton Assures Residents Budget Provision Will Keep D.C. Open if Federal Government Shuts Down

December 8, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C.As the possibility of a federal government shutdown looms this week, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today assured District of Columbia residents that a provision she gets included in each District of Columbia Appropriations bill will keep the D.C. government open if the federal government shuts down this Saturday, when the current fiscal year (FY) 2021 short-term continuing resolution (CR) expires.

"President Trump is a wild card when it comes to negotiations over government funding," Norton said. "While it is not probable that Trump will veto the one-week continuing resolution that Congress is expected to pass this week, it is possible. Given his erratic behavior throughout his administration and in particular since the election, he has proven far removed from reality and from the interests of the American people. The D.C. shutdown exemption provision is important this year in particular because it insulates D.C. from possible chaos Trump may try to create in his final months as President. Congress could learn something about fiscal responsibility by taking a look at D.C., which has a balanced budget and a surplus.

"During a federal shutdown, low-wage federal contract workers are at particular risk of being denied pay, through no fault of their own. Low-wage contract workers deserve the same back pay given to federal employees after a shutdown, as both federal employees and contract workers often work alongside one another. Both groups of workers deserve to be made whole after any shutdown."

Norton's provision allows D.C. to spend under its local FY 2021 budget during a federal government shutdown in FY 2021. D.C. has been spending under its local FY 2021 budget during the (CR), and would continue to do so during a federal government shutdown. Norton has gotten the D.C. shutdown exemption included in each spending bill since the federal government shutdown of 2013. Before she got the shutdown exemption for D.C., the District had to prepare shutdown contingency plans every time there was the threat of a federal government shutdown, even if it did not occur. Consistent threats of shutdowns harmed the credit rating of the District government. Credit rating agencies have favorably cited Norton's shutdown exemption provision.

During the federal government shutdown in 2019, Norton introduced a bill that would guarantee back pay to federally contracted retail, food, custodial and security service workers furloughed during a shutdown in that fiscal year.Norton introduced a similar bill in January 2018 to guarantee back pay to federally contracted low-wage workers in FY 2018 when a shutdown was threatened.

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