[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 19, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E74]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BUDGET AUTONOMY ACT OF 2011

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 19, 2011

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, next to voting rights, the highest priority 
for District of Columbia residents is to achieve the right to control 
the funds they themselves raise to support their city, as resident in 
other jurisdictions do. Therefore, today I introduce a bill, the 
District of Columbia Budget Autonomy Act of 2011, to allow the 
District's local taxpayer-raised budget to take effect immediately when 
passed by the city, without being subject to affirmative congressional 
approval.
  Control over the dollars raised by local taxpayers is central to 
local control, the oldest American principle. Moreover, permitting the 
city's local budget to become law without first coming to Congress 
would have multiple practical benefits for both the city and Congress. 
For the city, a timely budget means: eliminating the uncertainty of the 
congressional approval process, which has a negative effect on the 
city's bond rating, adding unnecessary interest costs for local 
taxpayers; significantly increasing the District's ability to make 
accurate revenue forecasts; and reducing the countless operational 
problems that result because the city's budget cannot be implemented 
until Congress approves it. Of major importance, eliminating 
congressional approval of D.C.'s local budget would also align the 
District's fiscal year with the typical state and local government July 
1st fiscal year instead of the congressional fiscal year, which starts 
in October, allowing ample time to prepare for the usual opening of 
schools in September. The D.C. local budget consumes valuable 
subcommittee, committee, and congressional 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.
  Increasing recognition of the hardships and delays caused by the 
annual appropriations process has led Congress to begin freeing the 
city. When I was last in the minority, I negotiated an agreement with 
the appropriators that has ensured that the city's local budget is 
always included in the first continuing resolution, if it is not 
approved by the start of the fiscal year. This approach has ended the 
lengthy delay of the budget of a big city until an appropriations bill 
is passed, often months after October 1st. As a result, the city has 
been able to spend its local funds at the next year's level, even 
though the budgets for federal agencies are often delayed for months. 
We hope that this process, which ended some serious problems in the 
functioning of the local government, will continue.
  We nearly secured budget autonomy for the District in the last days 
of the lame duck session last Congress. I used an unusual procedure, 
getting subcommittee and committee authorizers to agree to place budget 
autonomy in the D.C. appropriations bill that was passed by the House 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General 
Government. Unfortunately, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution 
instead of regular appropriations bills.
  If the District of Columbia Budget Autonomy Act is enacted, Congress 
would retain jurisdiction over the District of Columbia under article 
I, section 8, clause 17 of the U.S. Constitution. Because this 
authority allows Congress to make changes in the District's budget and 
laws at anytime, it is unnecessary to require a lengthy repetition of 
the District's budget process here. The time is overdue to permit the 
city to enact its local budget, the single most important step Congress 
could take to help the District better manage itself.
  Members of Congress were sent here to do the business of the nation. 
Members have no reason to be interested in or to become knowledgeable 
about the local budget of a single city. In the past, the House and 
Senate have more often than not passed the District's budget as is. Our 
bill takes the Congress in the direction it is already moving. 
Congressional interference into one of the most vital rights to self-
government should end this year with enactment of the District of 
Columbia Budget Autonomy Act of 2011.

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