Norton Writes OMB Requesting Federal Agencies Treat D.C. as a State, City and County for Purposes of Federal Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) wrote Shalanda Young, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), asking that OMB direct all federal agencies to treat D.C. as a state, city and county for purposes of federal funding unless an applicable statute precludes such funding.
Norton cited as an example of D.C. not being treated properly the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program, which was created to ensure the comprehensive management of post-consumer wastes and plastics. The EPA made D.C. eligible for state funding, but not municipal funding.
“D.C. operates as the functional equivalent of a state, city and county, and should be provided federal funding at each level when such funding is made available to states, cities and counties,” Norton wrote. “D.C. residents pay all federal taxes, and D.C. deserves to be provided the full federal funding to which it is entitled.”
The full letter follows.
June 12, 2023
The Honorable Shalanda Young
Director
Office of Management and Budget
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
1650 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20503
Dear Director Young:
I write to urge you to direct all federal agencies to treat the District of Columbia as a state, city and county for purposes of all federal funding, unless an applicable statute expressly precludes such treatment. D.C. operates as the functional equivalent of a state, city and county, and should be provided federal funding at each level when such funding is made available to states, cities and counties.
Recently, D.C. was denied funding for municipalities under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program. The program, which is authorized under the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, was created to ensure the comprehensive management of post-consumer wastes and plastics and to prevent the continued contamination of our nation’s waters by these materials. In its implementation of the program, the EPA created two separate grants—one for states and one for municipalities. The EPA made D.C. eligible for the state program, as required by the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, but not the municipality program, even though D.C. should have been eligible for the municipality program, too. The EPA has misinterpreted the definition of municipality in the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act and is depriving D.C. of funds to which it is entitled. I have introduced a bill that would correct the EPA’s interpretation, but this is the type of grant program where administrative action alone would ensure D.C. is correctly treated as a state, city and county.
I appreciate your consideration of this request and ask that you respond in writing by June 26, 2023.
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