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The District might not have to wait for a congressional verdict on the Home Rule Charter amendment approved by voters back in April to get budget autonomy. It could come sooner, contingent on Congress bungling its own budgetary responsibilities.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) introduced a bill last night that would give D.C. control over the portion of its budget that it draws from local revenue in the event Congress fails to pass a spending bill for the District by the beginning of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1. The bill was approved today by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which Issa chairs and has jurisdiction over D.C. affairs.
While he was not supportive of the Home Rule Charter amendment, which was favored by 87 percent of voters in a low-turnout election on April 23, Issa has been a frequent backer of budget autonomy for the District. In 2011, he sponsored a budget autonomy bill that was dismissed by D.C. officials because Issa’s Republican colleagues bludgeoned it with restrictive social policy amendements. Issa also said in February that he was considering bringing the issue before his committee this year.
About 70 percent of the District’s annual budget is paid for by local revenue, with the remaining 30 percent coming from the federal government to pay for programs such as Medicaid, the court system, and tuition assistance for college-bound residents.
Issa’s new bill, the “District of Columbia Financial Efficiency Act,” would also permit D.C. to set its own fiscal calendar. Most states use a July 1-June 30 fiscal year to focus on education spending, the District operates on the same Oct. 1-Sept. 30 calendar as the federal government. Additionally, the measure also allows for a raise to the chief financial officer’s salary of up to $230,700 to speed the search for a successor to Natwar Gandhi, who plans to retire this summer.
“I support the intent of the Chairman’s bill, but he and I have been in discussions, and he understands that my support is conditioned on an agreement yet to be reached on the final language of the bill,” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said in a statement.
The budget autonomy referendum could reach the end of its congressional review period this week, potentially clearing the way for the District to set an implementation date. (As written, it would take effect for the 2015 fiscal year.) But even though Congress has not formally weighed in on the amendment yet, the House Appropriations Committee issued a report last week saying that the vote on the amendment was merely a public opinion and not a binding maneuver.
UPDATE, 4:08 p.m.: In an emailed statement, Mayor Vince Gray says he welcomes Issa’s bill. “I greatly appreciate Chairman Issa’s efforts to accord the residents of the District more control over our financial affairs, and thank him for his persistent efforts on this issue,” Gray says. “We look forward to continuing to work with him as the language of the bill is refined.”
