Norton Introduces D.C. Budget Autonomy Bill, Putting D.C. in Control of its Local Funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced the District of Columbia Budget Autonomy Act of 2013, which would allow the District's local taxpayer-raised budget to take effect immediately after city approval, without requiring congressional approval. The bill would eliminate the uncertainty of the congressional approval process, which has a negative effect on D.C.'s bond rating, adding unnecessary interest costs for local taxpayers, and causes countless operational difficulties for the city because the budget cannot be implemented until Congress approves it. D.C. budget autonomy gained critical bipartisan support in the 112th Congress, including from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R). Norton has asked President Obama to go beyond the statement in his fiscal year 2013 budget that indicated his administration would work with Congress to pass a budget autonomy bill by including a legislative provision in his fiscal year 2014 budget granting D.C. budget autonomy.
"The D.C. local budget consumes valuable congressional subcommittee, committee, and floor time in both houses of Congress even though it is of interest only to those members who use it to promote their own issues, violating the principle of local self-government," Norton said in her floor statement on the introduction of the bill. "
Published January 22, 2013