Senate Passes Emergency Bill to Prevent $1 Billion Cuts to D.C. Budget

The bipartisan legislation addresses a funding oversight that threatened essential city services and now awaits action from the House.

The Senate unanimously approved a standalone bill to allow Washington, D.C. to operate under its fiscal year 2025 budget, avoiding $1 billion in potential cuts to city services.
The funding issue arose when a routine provision for D.C.'s budget was omitted from a House-passed stopgap government funding measure, freezing the budget at 2024 levels.
The cuts would have severely impacted essential services including police, education, public safety, and city maintenance, with officials warning of a 16% reduction in remaining funds.
Senators from both parties emphasized that the legislation involves D.C.'s locally generated tax revenues, not federal dollars, and urged the House to act promptly when it reconvenes on March 24.
D.C. leaders, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, have lobbied Congress throughout the week, highlighting the broader tension over federal oversight of the district's governance.