Congresswoman Eleanor Norton

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) sent a letter on Friday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Chairman Richard Durbin (D-IL) asking that a possible fiscal year 2013 omnibus appropriations bill include a provision that would prevent the District of Columbia government from shutting down if the federal government shuts down. The provision, which is included in the fiscal year 2013 District of Columbia Appropriations bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee, would permanently authorize the D.C. government to spend its local funds during a government shutdown.

“After the D.C. government faced several shutdown threats this Congress, a bipartisan consensus emerged that the District government should not face shutdown threats over unrelated federal spending fights,” Norton wrote. “Both Democrats and Republicans now recognize the costs and consequences of preparing for and facing a D.C. government shutdown, from the local money and time D.C. must spend preparing shutdown contingency plans to the risk of the city defaulting on its contracts to cutting off basic municipal services to D.C. and regional residents and the federal government.”

The full text of Norton’s letter follows.

December 7, 2012

The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader

Room S-221, The Capitol

Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye

Chairman                                                                                

Committee on Appropriations

Room S-128, The Capitol

Washington, DC 20510      

The Honorable Richard J. Durbin

Chairman                                                                                

Committee on Appropriations

   Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government

SD-133

Washington, DC 20510                                                                        

Dear Majority Leader Reid and Chairmen Inouye and Durbin:

As negotiations continue on a possible fiscal year 2013 omnibus appropriations bill, I urge you to fight for the provision in the Senate Appropriations Committee-passed fiscal year 2013 District of Columbia Appropriations bill that would permanently authorize the D.C. government to spend its local funds whenever the federal government shuts down. The provision would be an historic, yet non-controversial, step forward for D.C. self-government, and would lower D.C.’s operating costs.

After the D.C. government faced several shutdown threats this Congress, a bipartisan consensus emerged that the District government should not face shutdown threats over unrelated federal spending fights. Both Democrats and Republicans now recognize the costs and consequences of preparing for and facing a D.C. government shutdown, from the local money and time D.C. must spend preparing shutdown contingency plans to the risk of the city defaulting on its contracts to cutting off basic municipal services to D.C. and regional residents and the federal government.

All four committees with jurisdiction over D.C., as well as the president, now support eliminating the possibility of D.C. government shutdowns. We were grateful that the Senate Appropriations Committee took the lead and included the shutdown-avoidance provision in its bill. While the House Appropriations Committee-passed fiscal year 2013 D.C. Appropriations bill does not include the provision, the Republican-led committee’s report accompanying the bill acknowledged that the District government would face considerable hardships if it had to shut down due to a federal government shutdown and encouraged the passage of legislation to avoid D.C. government shutdowns. The chairs and ranking members of the authorizing committees with jurisdiction over D.C. also have advocated for legislation that would prevent D.C. government shutdowns. In his fiscal year 2013 budget, President Obama requested the shutdown-avoidance provision, and the Statement of Administration Policy on the House Appropriations Committee-passed fiscal year 2013 D.C. appropriations bill “urged” the House to include the provision in its final bill, noting, “[a]s is true for States, vital District operations that rely solely on non-Federal funds should not be disrupted by inaction of the Federal Government.”

            We are grateful for your leadership and indispensable commitment to the District of Columbia. Please help us seize this historic opportunity.

Sincerely,

Eleanor Holmes Norton

Cc: The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer

The Honorable Norman D. Dicks

The Honorable Jose E. Serrano

Published: December 10, 2012