House Speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to call for a vote on a bill to fix a glitch that has created a potential $1 billion hole in the D.C. budget, though the timing is still uncertain.
Johnson told reporters Monday night that he has spoken with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and told her he would try to “do it as quickly as possible.”
He said the delay on scheduling a vote was related to all the work that House Republicans are currently conducting on budget reconciliation.
Johnson said on Tuesday that Republicans are committed to moving forward on reconciliation, to approve President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” which he hopes to pass by Memorial Day.
“This is going to be the most important, most consequential legislation that we’ll ever be involved in, in our lifetimes,” Johnson said.
As for D.C., House Oversight Chair that he has been pressing his fellow GOP lawmakers to address the District funding issue, which could lead to reductions in local services, including law enforcement and public education.
Bowser visited the White House on Monday, where she appeared at a news conference with Trump to announce that D.C. will host the NFL draft in 2027.
Comer indicated the visit gave the mayor a chance to discuss the need for the funding fix.
Trump has supported a vote to deal with the funding problem, which was first identified in the stopgap funding bill passed in March to avoid a government shutdown.
The Senate passed legislation to address the issue in mid-March, but the measure has languished in the House.
While Johnson plans to eventually schedule a vote on the D.C. budget matter, some House conservatives have indicated they won’t support it or will try to add additional requirements for the District to the legislation.
The chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, recently told WTOP he opposes the bill and doesn’t believe it has GOP support to pass.
DC tries to work through budget issues
Bowser said she will provide the D.C. Council with her supplemental budget, accounting for the problem created by Congress.
The mayor has said she can reduce the shortfall to around $400 million by utilizing additional spending authority that was created by a law passed in 2009.
She also plans to present the council this week with her 2026 budget.
Bowser said she believes her spending plan can turn around the potential for job losses to job growth.
The budget issues loom large for the District, especially as the mayor presses the council to approve an agreement that would bring the Washington Commanders back to D.C. to play in a new stadium at the old RFK site.
The nearly $4 billion stadium deal, along with surrounding development, would require a commitment of close to $1 billion in public funds from the District.
Currently, only four council members firmly support the deal, and seven votes are needed to get it approved.
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