D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Tuesday that the district will begin to implement a list of “extraordinary measures” — from hiring freezes to potential furloughs — because of the potential for severe budget cuts after the failure of the GOP-majority House to pass a fix requested by President Trump.
Bowser said in an order set to take effect “immediately” that the local government is imposing freezes on “the hiring of new employees and contract staff” with some exceptions, as well as a freeze on overtime “for work performed after April 27.”
The order also calls for the city administrator to present the mayor with a plan by April 25 to further reduce expenditures through the “furloughing of District Government employees” and the closure of facilities, with exceptions for public schools, some health facilities and shelters.
The order comes after Congress left town on recess last week without passing legislation to prevent significant budget cuts for Washington. The measure faced staunch opposition from some conservatives, even after it was swiftly approved last month by the Senate and as Trump publicly called for its passage in the GOP-held House.