Norton Says McDonnell Support Gives Issa’s Budget Autonomy Proposal a Critical Boost

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said that Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's (R) recent letter to Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) expressing support for the Issa proposal to give the District of Columbia budget autonomy gives a major boost to the proposal because the letter "reflects the deep knowledge of a neighbor and chief executive who understands the interlocking operations in a region effectively without borders." In his letter, McDonnell spelled out the effect on the region of requiring congressional approval of D.C.'s local budget, including on Metro and vital District services that 100,000 commuters from Virginia depend upon, and the domino effect throughout the region of a threatened or actual D.C. government shutdown as a result of unrelated federal spending fights. McDonnell urged the two House leaders to work to pass budget autonomy. Issa has said that he will continue working on budget autonomy until "it becomes law." The Issa budget autonomy proposal mirrors much of Norton's own budget autonomy bill.

"Governor McDonnell's letter is very valuable and much appreciated because of his discussion of the web of issues that tie the national capital region together. The Governor understands the domino effect when a vital organ of the D.C. government, the annual budget, faces annual delay and uncertainty," Norton said. "The Governor also wrote as a chief executive about costs and planning problems that result when a jurisdiction does not control its local budget." Norton said that not since her friend, former Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA), who formerly chaired the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, retired had a major regional leader expressed such insight into the common issues among the jurisdictions in the national capital region.

Like Issa, McDonnell's support for budget autonomy focused on the financial and operational benefits. Norton said it was significant that McDonnell wrote to Cantor, as well as Issa, considering that the Majority Leader is from Virginia and controls the House floor, where Issa's budget autonomy proposal ultimately would be considered.

Published February 23, 2012