The following is a statement by Rodney Lusk on behalf of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors regarding the current federal spending bill, which proposes severe cuts to the District of Columbia. Lusk, a Fairfax County Supervisor, serves as the Chair of the COG Board of Directors.

“Significant reductions to the federal workforce being implemented by the current administration are already having a major impact on our region, which will only be compounded by the federal spending bill currently making its way through Congress. This bill would have an enormous and immediate negative impact on the District of Columbia as well as its neighboring jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia, affecting nearly six million residents in total.

“In the DMV, we are all part of one region with an interconnected transit network, shared natural resources, and an economy driven by the most highly educated workforce in the country and a strong base of companies, including our largest employer, the federal government.

“This bill, which proposes to reduce DC’s already congressionally approved Fiscal 2025 budget by $1 billion, needlessly imperils major gains we have made as a region to significantly reduce crime rates, clean our waterways, and step up to support Metro and our transit network at a time when we are breaking records for workers returning to the office.

“There’s an easy fix to this challenge, and we are hopeful that congressional leaders can remedy this situation before causing serious harm. We remain committed to working with Congress and the Administration to shape a thriving National Capital Region.” 

MORE:

COG Federal Resources and Data web page
Letter to National Capital Region Congressional Delegation on Federal Spending Bill Impacts to the National Capital Region