House Republicans Move to Strip D.C. of Local Control in Sweeping Spending Bill

House Republicans have advanced an appropriations bill that would significantly curtail Washington, D.C.'s autonomy by imposing federal restrictions on a wide range of local laws and policies.

The bill proposes cuts to college tuition assistance, bans on noncitizen voting, and continued blocks on marijuana sales, while also targeting D.C.'s traffic safety measures, abortion access, and gun regulations. Local leaders and D.C.'s congressional delegate have condemned the bill as unreasonable and patronizing, arguing it undermines the city's right to self-governance. These interventions are part of a longstanding pattern where Congress overrides D.C.'s locally enacted laws.

The move has reignited debates over D.C. statehood and home rule.