Photo by James Turitto.

We’re still looking over the 2,400-plus-page budget released by President Barack Obama yesterday to figure out how it will affect the District, but a Republican resolution introduced in the House on Friday also warrants mentioning: the Continuting Resolution, HR 1, would slice federal payments to the District by approximately $80 million, and would reduce the amount of funding for WMATA to zero over the next eight months.

The cuts — a complete list of which can be found in this PDF — are part of the Republicans’ strategy to rein in federal spending between March and the end of the 2011 fiscal year, which ends on September 30. Not only would the proposal completely eliminate federal funding for WMATA, but it would also make deep cuts in several District concerns:

Compared with spending levels for 2010, the bill would reduce payments for D.C. courts by $25.5 million; school improvements by $15.4 million; the Water and Sewer Authority by $10 million; the forensics lab by $15 million; veterans’ housing by $7 million; and programs for “disconnected youth” by $4 million.

Local politicians are striking back at the Republican proposal. Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) criticized the cuts to WMATA funding, noting that it would not allow the system to fully integrate recommendations recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board. “Rider safety should not be compromised in order to score political points,” said Moran in a statement. “This cut does not represent fiscal leadership; it demonstrates a willingness to pass the buck off to states, localities, and potentially Metro riders.”