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 neighbors on the latest:
- First, ten Democrats, led by Senator Schumer (D-NY), joined Republicans in clearing the needed 60 vote threshold for cloture. This prevented further debate on the Continuing Resolution (CR).
- Subsequently, Senators tried to introduce an amendment to protect DC’s budget, led by Senator Alsobrooks (D-MD). The amendment failed.
- Next, the Continuing Resolution passed, 54-46.
- Because of the resounding calls for protecting the District’s local budget, Senator Collins (R-ME), joined by Maryland and Virginia Senators—Alsobrooks (D-MD), Van Hollen (D-MD), Kaine (D-VA), and Warner (D-VA)—introduced a separate piece of legislation that fixes the harm caused in the CR, and will allow us to continue spending at our Fiscal Year 2025 levels, avoiding a devastating $1.1 billion in cuts to our local budget. This legislation was resoundingly, unanimously approved just moments ago.
- We now continue our fight, calling on the House to expeditiously pass this legislation and the President to sign it. I was reassured to hear Senator Collins convey that President Trump supports the swift passage of the bill.
It is not lost on me that this success took remarkable efforts from countless District neighbors. To all of you who have called, emailed, visited the Hill, and stood up in this important moment: thank you. DC demonstrated exactly what we are made of this week. While this may not be the last fight we face in the coming months and years, it is a reminder and inspiration of our ability to come together and speak up on behalf of the District. Power to the people.
Ward 5 Wave Podcast
This week on the Ward 5 Wave, you can catch clips of my time on the Hill demanding that Senators protect DC’s budget as they prepared to vote on the GOP’s Continuing Resolution. Tune in here!
New Staff
In lighter news, I am excited to announce and welcome the newest member of my team, Andrianna Lovelace! Andrianna is joining the Ward 5 Council Office as a Constituent Services Coordinator, and we’re thrilled to have her on our team serving Ward 5 neighbors. She grew up in DC, and enjoys reading, running, and going to concerts during her free time. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication from Hampton University, and lives in the Trinidad neighborhood. Please join me in welcoming Andrianna! You can reach her at alovelace@dccouncil.gov.
Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon and 5K Road Closures Impact Ward 5
On Saturday, March 15, DC will host the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon and 5K. The race will cause parking restrictions and road closures. Take a look at the map and traffic advisory here and plan accordingly if traveling through the city on Saturday. Streets impacted in Ward 5 include:
- Bryant St from 4th St to North Capitol St NW
- North Capitol St from Bryant St to K St NW
