Norton Assures Residents that D.C. Will Remain Open as Federal Government Faces Brink of a Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As the possibility of a federal government shutdown looms large, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today assured District of Columbia residents that a critical provision she got included in the fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill will keep the D.C. government open if the federal government shuts down on Saturday, when the current short-term continuing resolution—which has kept the government open for the past four weeks—expires. The Norton provision allows D.C. to spend under its current local fiscal year 2018 budget during a federal government shutdown in fiscal year 2018 (subject to the terms and conditions of the fiscal year 2017 omnibus). Norton has gotten the D.C. shutdown exemption included in each spending bill since the last federal government shutdown in 2013. Before she got the shutdown exemption for D.C. included in D.C. appropriations bills, the city 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. In upgrading their ratings on the District's outstanding general obligation bonds, Standard & Poor's Rating Services and Fitch Ratings both favorably cited Norton's shutdown exemption provision. Because of Norton's efforts over the years, Congress no longer holds hearings on D.C.'s budget.

"Despite controlling the House, Senate and White House, Republicans are once again governing from shutdown deadline to shutdown deadline, and this time the federal government is closer to shutting down than at any point in the past five years," Norton said. "Working across the aisle, I have been able to get my D.C. shutdown exemption provision in annual spending bills to remove any threat of a D.C. government shutdown, even if the federal government shuts down. The D.C. government has done its job and passed a budget and should not be caught up like a bystander paying the price for congressional gridlock. However, the Republican-led shutdown would have negative consequences for our region's many federal workers, and, if the government does shut down, I will press to ensure that all federal workers and low-wage federal contract workers receive the back pay they are owed."