Just as miners watch the canary in its cage for clues of danger, Washington, DC signals a warning for the nation. Despite being home to the federal government, DC lacks the political power to defend itself, with no voting representatives in Congress.
This Spring, Congress accidentally took away the ability of DC to spend $1.1 billion dollars of its own locally-raised tax dollars. The Senate immediately fixed that error on March 14. The House has been delaying ever since.
BOWSER Act
Now, DC faces an even greater threat: two bills in Congress are aiming to repeal the DC Home Rule Act of 1973 that finally allowed Americans living in DC to vote for their own Mayor and City Council.
The BOWSER Act – (“Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety for Every Resident”) has the goal of a takeover and removal of Home Rule so that Congress can decide the city’s policies and laws. They already have had veto power over our laws.
This is House Bill #1089 and Senate Bill S440. These efforts are led by Republicans far removed from DC’s 95% Democratic population. Their goal is to write our laws for us themselves. DC’s already federally disenfranchised American citizens would have no input in this process.
DC’s Home Rule has always existed under congressional oversight. Over the past two years alone, Congress reviewed over 80 local bills on issues ranging from childcare to guns. They already possess veto power over DC laws, which they exercised in 2024, but now they want total control—writing DC laws themselves without any input from residents.
Oddly, the bills offer no details about what this reversal would entail. Even the newly elected president supports a congressional takeover, saying, “I think we should take over Washington, DC.” But who would manage local services? Would Congress handle trash collection or oversee wrongful death lawsuits?
DC remains a clean, well-run city. Yet Congress seems intent on gaining the power to reshape laws on schools, healthcare, climate, and more—without any input from the people who live here. It’s time to challenge the myths about DC’s governance and push back against this dangerous power grab.
Top Myths (and Facts) about Washington, DC
Ths basis for this conservative takeover rests on common misunderstandings and false beliefs about the actual conditions in DC. It’s time to challenge the myths about DC and set the record straight. Here are the facts.
Myth 1: Washington, DC is entirely a Federal Enclave.
Actually, according to www.Congress.gov – less than 1/4 (24.7%) of DC’s land is the actual seat of government with the federal buildings, museums, monuments, parks. The remaining 75% consists of regular neighborhoods of private property – homes, schools, businesses, religious institutions, etc.
Myth 2: Most DC residents work for the Federal Government.
Surprisingly, according to USA Facts – 75% of DC residents do NOT work for the feds. In fact of 80% of federal government employees work around the nation in the 50 states.
Myth 3: DC has very few actual residents.
The US Census Bureau counts DC as home to over 702,000 citizens of the USA – more than Vermont and Wyoming, and comparable to Alaska and Delaware. Yet these states have Congressional votes while DC residents have never had a federal vote in the 222 years since DC was incorporated.
Myth 4: DC is filled with poor residents and tent encampments.
Like many US cities some of DC’s residents face poverty and are living without homes. However, the encampments on parkland that draw attention are actually the jurisdiction of the National Park Service – not the city. WJLA reported on NPS removing 34 encampments in 2 months after Trump complained.
Myth 5: DC is overrun with crime.
According to the Department of Justice, DC’s violent crime has dropped to its lowest levels in 30 years. Total crime is down 35% since 2023, with reductions ranging from 28% to 53% across categories.
Myth 6: DC is filthy, decayed and covered in graffiti.
The Best Performing Cities List from the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities show that DC has jumped from #134 in 2023 to #62 in 2025 and www.Walkscore.com ranks DC 5th in walkability, transit-friendliness and biking.
Myth 7: DC residents don’t pay taxes and rely on government handouts.
National Taxpayers Union notes that DC residents pay more per person in federal taxes than any state and more in federal taxes than residents in 22 states.. DC pays more to the federal government than they receive in funds for benefits from the feds. DC is in fact a “Donor State” not a “Recipient State.” and yet…we are not a state.
Myth 8: DC’s government is incompetent and wasteful.
DC Fiscal Policy Institute reports that DC has had “28 consecutive years of clean audits and credit ratings are amongst the highest of any state.” The city has had 29 balanced budgets. Currently, two ratings continue at AA+ and one was downgraded this spring from AA+ to A+ due to federal actions.
What can you do to Help?
To combat misinformation please link to this article (LINK HERE) with friends and family who live in states. They have access to call or write their own state’s representatives and Senators who sit on the committees with power over DC. Share with both Republicans and Democrats.
If you can, just make a few phone calls or write to members of the House Oversight Committee and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs as well re: the BOWSER Act.
Go to www.oversight.house.gov for a list of names.
Get notified about action on the BOWSER Bill by clicking Get Alert at www.congress.gov
Talking Points – Topics for your friends and family living in States
Let your representative or Senator know you want them to spend their time and effort on your needs as constituents. You pay their salaries and vote on whether they stay or go. Congress people on both sides of the aisle need to be informed about DC’s plight.
DC residents need the following from–
1. The House – Return our tax-raised $1.1 billion with Congressional authorization to spend it as we budgeted. This is to be a clean bill without any policy stipulations and “guardrails” from the Republicans on how we spend our money. Even the President Trump wants the city to get their money back and directed the House to fix this IMMEDIATELY.
2. The House and Senate – Contact Oversight committee members from your state. The BOWSER Act needs to fail in Oversight Committee to avoid wasting Congressional time on a floor vote on this non-priority topic.
History – Taxpayers have always had a basic fundamental right to self-govern.
Remind Congress people that the famous quote “Taxation without Representation is Tyranny” was written in 1764. That was before the Constitution was written. It was an understood principle that government must be based on the consent of the governed. DC cannot consent. It is the last colony left in the Lower 48 states.
We do our part. DC residents pay taxes and serve in the military. But we are treated as a colony. Our Judges and US Attorneys are appointed by the President. We serve on juries to adjudicate laws we had no vote on. Please support us to at least spend our own tax money and hang onto our own local Home Rule!
Republicans need to follow their Core Principles favoring small government
The Chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andy Harris from Eastern Shore, Maryland, is pushing to add many “anti-woke” stipulations on releasing control over our $1.1 billion in funds. In recent years, they already have interjected their conservative spin on topics ranging from banning traffic cameras to allowing concealed carry on public transportation. They tried and failed to overturn DC’s Death with Dignity Law. So even how we die is not up to us!
Interestingly Rep. Harris said at his April 7, 2025 constituent phone-in town hall,
“The federal government shouldn’t dictate policies across the country when we have different needs in different locales. I support block grants to smaller local jurisdictions. Just send it straight to small jurisdictions to handle it – remove the middleman taking cuts and proscribing how to use it.”
And remember our situation is not about federal money at all.
Even conservative Ken Cuccinelli stated on CSPAN that “100% of Constitutional rights are owed to each American citizen.”
NOTE: This article, Canary in a Coal Mine, was published in the August print edition of the Hill Rag. It is available online in an extended version to be shared.
