ALT Defend the DC Budget: Call Senators Today

ALT Congress is planning to cut more than $1 billion in local funds, threatening a devastating impact on DC. We can't let it happen. Over the weekend, Congressional Republicans introduced a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend federal government funding through September and avoid a potential government shutdown. However, this CR excludes language that has been included for more than twenty years—language that allows DC to operate under its current, locally-funded budget. Removing this provision undoes the District's Fiscal Year 2025 budget and forces us to revert to FY 2024 levels. This creates an unprecedented crisis for DC, disrupting essential services that Congress had already approved and that the District has already been paying for since October 1.

ALT HOW YOU CAN HELP. Yesterday, Council colleagues, Mayor Bowser, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton met on the Hill for a press conference and to make the case directly to Congressional Republicans that this unprecedented change simply does not make sense, or cents. It harms the District's ability to be safe, beautiful, and thriving through some of our most essential services, and it doesn't save the federal government any money. JOIN US IN MAKING THE CASE TO SENATORS.

ALT CALL SENATORS. Please contact U.S. Republican Senate leadership: John Thune (SD), Majority Leader - 202-224-2321 Susan Collins (ME), Chair, Appropriations Committee - 202-224-2523 John Barrasso (WY), Majority Whip - 202-224-6441 SCRIPT: Hello! My name is __________ and I am a resident of the District of Columbia. I am asking you to support an amendment that would protect DC's locally funded budget in the GOP's Continuing Resolution. For the first time in more than twenty years, the current version of the CR treats the District of Columbia like a federal agency—we are not a federal agency. We operate, and have for more than twenty years, like a state. Allowing the CR to move forward as-is would force DC to make $1 billion in cuts to public safety, schools, and other frontline workers halfway through our fiscal year. DC's budget is balanced and was already approved by Congress last year. Furthermore, making this unprecedented change doesn't save the federal government a single dime.