A bill to repair more than $ 1 billion in financing for Washington, DC, which the congress was blocked earlier this year, got stuck in the house, where the Republican resistance to the measure has questioned his destiny.
Gop leaders say that they are still planning to bring up the bill and to blame the competing priorities of President Trump’s agenda. But some ultra -conservative Republicans are simply opposed and claim that Washington – a democratically running city that is home to a considerable number of federal employees and black inhabitants – cannot spend their own money, unless it is part of the wishes of the Republicans, abortion and other issues.
The lack of action leaves DC in the dark, with part of the hundreds of millions of dollars from this year’s budget that could lead to steep reductions in city services. That’s because the conference guided by the Republicans, when one one STOPGAP -Financing account In March, the standard language routinely included in accounts of loans to approve the budget of the city. Without the approval, Washington was forced to return to last year’s financing levels, which was around $ 1.1 billion halfway through the tax year.
Republicans and Democrats moved quickly to rectify the issue. Immediately after obtaining the federal spending measure, the Senate approved a separate bill that DC could continue to operate under its current budget without interruption. At that time, President Trump insisted on the house to “immediately” pass the solution, the top republicans indicated that they would do that.
But almost two months later, that legislation still has to enter the house.
“Nobody is talking about it,” said representative Andy Harris, Republican of Maryland and the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. “We just don’t see the urgency.”
Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters this week that he had assured Mayor Muriel Bowser last month that he would try to pass the bill “as quickly as possible”, but he did not give a timeline and indicated that it did not have enough support to pass as in his current form.
“I had a conversation with the mayor a few weeks ago,” said Mr. Johnson on Tuesday. “This is not political that we do. It is just a matter of managing our schedule. I have to build a consensus around it to ensure that we have the voices, and we work on that.”
As part of that consensus building, Mr. Johnson would probably have to change the bill to calm the correct flank of his party, who wants to prevent DC from spending money on programs and policy that runs out with conservative priorities.
“We believe that, you know, freezing spending for DC is not a bad idea, and if they want to increase their expenses, we have to put some limitations on it,” Mr. Harris said.
Although he did not release a formal list of changes that the group would propose, Mr Harris said that the freedom scaucus would probably insist on adding a provision to withdraw the Washington law in order not to vote -burger and also forbid reparations for black inhabitants.
Various Republicans, including Mr Harris and representative Tom Cole van Oklahoma, the chairman of the credit committee, have also said that the bill must include language that prevents the taxpayer dollars from publishing – local or federal – to abortion services.
In the absence of a solution, the city yielded the pressure on members of the congress to help the bill move forward. After the congress left last month for a two -week break without acting on it, Mrs. Bowser went publicly with her plans to connect the financing gapOrdering spending in the city and hiring freezing, including overtime for police and fire brigades, and increasing the possibility of leave in the future.
But some Republicans say that DC is very low on their priority list.
“At least that has not been an ideas,” said representative Andy Ogles, Republican of Tennessee and a member of the Freedom Caucus. “Because of reconciliation we are all busy in our committees.”
Also potentially damping the urgency was Mrs. Bowser’s decision in April to use a Federal Law of 2009 to increase local credits by 6 percent this year, reducing the gap of billion dollars to $ 410 million.
Mr Ogles said that he would insist on an amendment that DC places completely under federal control by withdrawing the 52-year-old Home Rule Act, so that residents of DC can choose a mayor and advice. He also said he wanted to see more crash barriers about how DC could spend his money.
“I am not against financing if there is responsibility,” he said.
Other republicans who support the financing solution are stunned by the requirements and delays.
“Those riders are already in it,” said Susan Collins, Republican van Maine, in an interview, referring to the limitations of the abortion care that add some republicans to add to it that it is already being applied in DC “It is perplexed for me that the house does not produce a legislative proposal.
“The president has strongly endorsed the bill,” she added, “so I don’t know what’s going on.”
Among those who are concerned about the financing sleep is representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky and chairman of the Supervisory Committee, which supervises the laws and budget of DC. He said that he had “been constant communication with the mayor’s office” and “argued for her to receive the financing she had planned to receive.”
“I have expressed my support to fully finance DC,” said Mr. Comer. “So hopefully it will be restored.”
Campbell Robertson contributed reporting.
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