House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday condemned as unconstitutional a D.C. law allowing the city government not to submit its annual budget to Congress.
The Wisconsin Republican issued a statement as the GOP-controlled House prepared to vote on whether to allow the District to control how it spends its local tax dollars.
“The current D.C. government needs to be reined in,” Mr. Ryan said in the statement. “We will not allow Congress and the Constitution to be undermined.”
He said that if the District were given control of its money, the city would fund abortions, which House Republicans would not approve.
“Congress has ultimate authority over the District,” he said, “and efforts to undermine this authority are in violation of the Constitution. There are real consequences.”
D.C. lawmakers had submitted the city budget to Congress each year since the District was granted home rule in 1973.
But city officials had planned not to submit a budget this year after D.C. voters overwhelmingly approved the Budget Autonomy Act in 2012, which a D.C. Superior judge sustained in a court challenge.
The House is expected to pass the “Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for D.C. Home Rule Act of 2016,” which would negate the city’s budget autonomy law.
• Faith E. Pinho can be reached at fpinho@washingtontimes.com.
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