Hello!
On March 11, 2019, the White House released the President’s proposed FY20 budget, which includes federal payments to the District and a number of budget “riders” – prohibitions on how the District can spend certain funds. Although it is unlikely to be enacted as proposed, the President’s budget is the first step in the federal appropriations process. It also provides the basis for the Fiscal Year 2020 Federal Portion Budget Request Act of 2019, which is included in the Mayor’s FY20 budget transmittal to Council.
The President’s FY20 Proposed Budget: Provisions Impacting the District highlights the federal payments included in the proposal, as well as other elements affecting the District’s autonomy and authority.
Please note that federal payments are just a tiny part of the District’s $14.5 billion budget. Local dollars -- $11 billion -- account for 76.3 percent of the District’s total budget. Most of the rest — $3.4 billion or 23.4 percent — is federal formula spending that includes Medicaid and federal grants available to all jurisdictions. Overall, approximately 99.7 percent of the District’s budget is derived from local revenue and federal grants not unique to the District. The remainder, one third of 1 percent of the budget, comes from federal payments specifically requested for programs or projects unique to the District.
Thanks much, Jen Budoff