At a time when Americans are divided on so many issues, President Trump issued a directive in March that commands rare consensus: Make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful again.
It’s a goal every American should support. After all, our nation’s capital is not just home to more than 700,000 Americans and more than 320,000 taxpaying households, but it is also the beating heart of our democracy and the front porch of our republic facing the world.
Trump’s executive order outlines a federal commitment to improving public safety, combating crime and enhancing the appearance of Washington, D.C., including directives to support law enforcement, clean up public spaces and ensure the capital reflects the strength and dignity of the United States.
Yet despite Trump’s stated vision, the District is facing a congressionally imposed budget crisis that threatens to undo the very progress needed to make that vision a reality. This crisis is not the result of mismanagement at the local level but of inaction by House Republicans, who continue to block a legislative fix — one that Trump has effusively supported. By refusing to address the District’s unique budget needs, these lawmakers are placing political gamesmanship ahead of public safety, national dignity and the president’s own stated goals.
The problem stems from Congress’s passage of a continuing resolution in March to keep the federal government funded. In doing so, Congress failed to distinguish the District’s local operating budget from that of federal agencies — a critical oversight that has left D.C. stuck with last year’s funding levels and unable to respond to its current and critical needs. Unlike states, which pass and implement their own budgets independently, D.C.’s budget must be approved by Congress. This has transformed what should be a routine local matter into a hostage of congressional dysfunction.
The implications are profound.
Law enforcement agencies and first responders, already strained by increased public safety demands, are being forced to operate on outdated budgets. This means fewer resources for officer training, recruitment and community safety initiatives. Neighborhoods that have seen hard-fought reductions in crime may now face a reversal of that progress. And make no mistake: a less safe D.C. is not just a problem for the people who live here — it’s a problem for every member of Congress, their staff, senior administration officials, and the countless workers, tourists and foreign dignitaries who walk these streets every day.
Every week, for example, the District hosts heads of state and international delegations, often with little to no federal support for the extraordinary security burden that comes with it. Our police officers and first responders are expected to provide a world-class level of protection and response under increasingly strained circumstances. This federal indifference, compounded by budgetary gridlock, risks turning D.C. into a capital city that projects dysfunction rather than strength. That reflects poorly on the District, on our federal government, and on our country.
Most Americans, including Trump, understand and appreciate the significance of a safe and beautiful Washington, D.C. His executive order is a recognition that public safety is foundational to American greatness, in our neighborhoods and in our nation’s capital. Unfortunately, members of his own party in Congress are now standing in the way of that goal.
They have a choice: They can either stand with the majority of Americans who value and cherish our capital city to fix this crisis, or they can continue to play political games that endanger public safety and diminish America’s stature on the world stage.
This is not controversial. It’s not a Democratic issue. It’s not a Republican issue. It’s a straightforward problem that Congress has the power to quickly fix.
It’s worth noting that the residents of D.C. are the only Americans who pay federal taxes without full voting representation in Congress. Yet they serve and grow this country daily, as members of our military, first responders and small-business owners who drive our economy. Their children rely on the District’s schools. Their families walk on the capital’s streets. Their taxes support the very government that now withholds their ability to function properly.
The longer Congress delays, the more the damage compounds and the worse the consequences will become: increased crime, slower public services, crumbling infrastructure and diminished learning for our children — all at the front step of the White House, and visible to the international community that passes through our streets daily.
It’s time for House Republicans to step up and do their part. Suspend the rules and pass the D.C. Local Funds Act. This shouldn’t be about political games. Allow the District to use the tools and resources it needs to be the safe and beautiful city that we all demand, and the American people deserve.
Ayodele Okeowo is a managing director at Tusk Strategies and a former political appointee in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Program Office.
