- Senate unanimously approved bill on Friday.
- Fixes harshest provision in funding bill.
- Funding bill sent to president's desk.
On Friday afternoon, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declared that senators had come to a bipartisan agreement to remove legislation that would have required the D.C. government to cut $1 billion from its budget over the next six months, possibly leading to widespread layoffs of firefighters and teachers.
Without a roll call vote or even a single senator shouting "nay" during a voice vote, the Senate passed the bill unanimously.
The House accidentally included the cuts to the D.C. government in the financing bill, according to Senate Appropriations Committee head Susan Collins (R-Maine), and the new bill would fix the mistake.
“This bill would simply fix a mistake in the House [continuing resolution] that prevents the District of Columbia from spending its own tax dollars,”
Collins said.
According to Schumer, the follow-up bill would shield citizens of Washington, D.C. from police layoffs.
However, the House still needs to adopt the D.C. patch, and it won't be returning to Washington for votes until March 24. Although it's unclear if House Republicans will support the proposal, no legislator has specifically supported the District's budget cut, especially since it became clear that it was included in error.
For Schumer, who has been harassed by members of his own party, a bipartisan law protecting D.C. from an unnecessary cut that wouldn't save the federal government any money is somewhat of a victory. His fellow Democrats reacted negatively when he declared on Wednesday that Democrats would filibuster the larger budget package and on Thursday that he would personally support it.
“I’m happy we’re passing the bill today. I thank my colleagues for working quickly to bring this bill to the floor,”
Schumer said.
“Once the Senate acts, we urge the House to act quickly.”
A request for comment was not immediately answered by a representative for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
How will the fix affect Kennedy Center renaming authority?
The Senate's amicable approval of the bill on Friday addresses a controversial provision in the recent government backing package, but no similar legislation directly pertains to Kennedy Center renaming authority grounded on available reports.
The backing bill fix targeted unconnected financial measures to forestall arrest, not artistic institutions; Kennedy Center renaming controversies depend on the 1964 duty( Public Law 88- 260), taking congressional correction for changes, innocent by this action.
Board opinions remain vulnerable to suits claiming overreach, with Congress retaining sole power over honorary designations; the Senate bill reinforces statutory oversight but leaves renaming challenges complete pending judicial or legislative review.