It is unseasonably calm in the Wilson building right now. Typically, we would be juggling a flurry of budget oversight hearings and taking up the Mayor's proposed FY26 budget for consideration. But while we press the House of Representatives to treat the DC Local Funds Act with the urgency it deserves, our budget process is delayed.  For…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  Is the Council holding "secret meetings"? Are we making it easier to evict tenants? Is the DC budget crisis on the Hill ever going to get fixed? These are some of the questions I've heard from residents over the past week, and ones that deserve robust engagement. I always appreciate hearing from neighbors and pride…

Dear neighbors,  There's lots of big news this week in and around Ward 5. From moving the Providence Redvelopment forward and breaking ground in Fort Lincoln, to delays in the District's budget process and a DC-focused Executive Order (EO) from the President's desk, I remain focused on keeping my promise to build healthy communities in Ward 5 and across the District. Keep…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  Last week, I emailed you asking for your help in calling on the Senate to protect DC's local budget in the GOP spending bill. Your overwhelming response of support made a difference! While the Senate didn't fix the Continuing Resolution, they did pass a separate, standalone measure called the District of Columbia Local Funds Act, which…

Today, the United States Senate unanimously approved standalone legislation that would prevent the District of Columbia from having to cut more than $1 billion in spending during the current FY25 budget year. Make no mistake: until this bill is enacted, the District will face devastating and unnecessary cuts to funding for our schools, public safety…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  It has been a long and stressful week for District residents as we lobbied on Capitol Hill to protect the District's budget from a harmful Continuing Resolution that passed the House on Tuesday and received votes in the Senate today. A lot happened in the past few hours, so I want to update…

Dear neighbors,  Dear neighbors,  Over the weekend, Congressional Republicans introduced a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend federal government funding through September and avoid a potential government shutdown. However, this CR excludes language that has been included for more than twenty years—language that allows DC to operate under its current, locally-funded budget. Removing this provision undoes the District's Fiscal Year…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  It's been a busy week with the Ward 5 Budget Forum, performance oversight hearings, and news from the federal government. I know that our community continues to feel the strain of layoffs within the federal government, and with the House passing a spending bill that may necessitate cuts to Medicaid, we know that strain…

Thank you to the many neighbors who filled the room on February 25, 2025 at Friendship PCS - Armstrong Campus for our annual Ward 5 Budget Forum, and to the hundreds more who joined us online via the livestream! The discussion was engaging and helps inform whatI will prioritize in my budget letter to the…

Dear Ward 5 neighbors,  As this week comes to a close, I know many of you are feeling on edge about the future of the District. While these are uncertain times, the threats we face are also a reminder to deepen our resolve and reassert our commitments to caring well for one another. This is not the…