Norton Blasts Republicans for Defeating Bill Allowing D.C. to Increase CFO Pay, Says It Highlights Need for Statehood

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) blasted Republicans for defeating on the House floor yesterday her bill that would allow the District of Columbia to increase the pay of its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who is paid with local D.C. funds. D.C. is currently searching for a permanent CFO. Although the CFO is the most powerful non-elected official in D.C., more than 20 D.C. employees are paid more than the CFO. D.C. must compete with both the private and public sectors for high-quality CFOs, and there are many private- and public-sector CFOs who are paid more than the D.C. CFO.

The bill was brought to the floor under an expedited parliamentary procedure known as suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage and is reserved for non-controversial bills with bipartisan support. Norton said yesterday's defeat of the bill was only the latest reminder of why D.C. needs control over its local affairs, which can only be achieved with statehood. The bill received 259 YES votes and 170 NO votes. Every Democrat (219) voted YES, 40 Republicans voted YES and 170 Republicans voted NO. Several Republicans changed their vote from YES to NO before the vote closed.

"D.C. requested that I introduce the bill so that it can recruit and retain the best candidates for CFO," Norton said. "I am outraged Republicans defeated a bill that would help D.C.'s financial operations. Republicans profess to support local control over local affairs, but somehow that principle stops at the District's border, including for the salary the District chooses to pay its own employees with its own funds. The bill had bipartisan support in committee and during House floor debate. No Republican spoke against the bill in committee or on the floor, so we do not know why they voted against it. However, I suspect they did so because of their opposition to D.C. autonomy and disdain for government employees. After yesterday's vote, I asked the Democratic leadership to bring the bill to the floor under a rule, which requires only a simple majority vote for passage."

The bill would establish the pay of the CFO as the greater of a rate equal to the maximum rate of pay of the CFO in current law or a rate established in law by D.C. Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress established a maximum rate of pay of the CFO, and the D.C. Council has no authority to increase that rate. Congress does not cap, or otherwise establish, the pay of any other D.C. employee.

The CFO was established by Congress in 1995. Congress vested the CFO with extraordinary powers and designed the CFO to be independent of the D.C. Mayor and Council. The CFO may be removed only for cause by the Mayor, subject to the approval of two-thirds of the Council and a 30-day congressional review and comment period. The bill would maintain the independence of the CFO by establishing a permanent floor on the CFO's pay and by prohibiting the Council from reducing the CFO's pay during the CFO's term.

The D.C. CFO is unique in the United States. D.C. cannot obligate or expend funds without the CFO's certification available funds exist. The CFO manages a $17.5 billion budget that consists of state, county, and city functions, and the CFO has more than 1,700 employees.

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