Norton’s Request for Inaugural Funding Included in Continuing Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced today that fiscal year 2013 continuing resolution (CR) contains, at her request, a $9.8 million federal payment to the District of Columbia to cover the costs associated with the upcoming presidential inauguration. The CR, which the House is expected to vote on this week, would effectively extend federal spending at its current (fiscal year 2012) levels through March. If the CR had not included the $9.8 million federal payment, D.C. would have been compelled to reallocate and use its local funds to pay for inauguration-related expenses.

Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Norton has been able to get annual federal funding for D.C. to cover its costs for events related to the presence of the nation's capital. In fiscal year 2012, Congress provided $14.9 million for such costs. For fiscal year 2013, the House and Senate Appropriations committees fully funded the president's request of $24.7 million for such costs, including $9.8 million for the inauguration. Because the inauguration funding was not contemplated in fiscal year 2012 and because the inauguration will take place before the CR expires, Norton needed to secure the $9.8 million for D.C. in the CR.

"I recognize that this is a lean continuing resolution, and I am therefore grateful that it includes the $9.8 million in federal funding for D.C. for costs associated with the presidential inauguration in January," Norton said. "At the same time, I am disappointed that my request is not included to allow the District government to remain open in the event of a federal government shutdown when the CR expires in March. Particularly in light of the agreement of the appropriations committees on this issue, it should have been easy to ensure that D.C. would be able to remain open and spend its local funds for all of fiscal year 2013, just as every other jurisdiction in the United States is able to do."

Published: September 10, 2012