Washington, D.C., would see new stability for its courts and public safety operations under a federal spending agreement unveiled this week, even as Congress maintains long-standing control over key aspects of the city’s governance.
A bipartisan appropriations package would increase funding for the federal judiciary, including court security and defender services that directly affect the District’s court system. The bill provides $892 million nationwide for courthouse protection and related services — a 19% increase — along with $1.766 billion for federal public defenders and court-appointed attorneys — a 22% boost intended to prevent staffing shortages and payment delays that have disrupted representation for indigent defendants in recent years.
“We thank our partners in Congress for including these critical provisions that will benefit Washington, D.C. — residents and visitors alike — and we urge Congress to act swiftly to pass this legislation,” District Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a published statement, citing the public safety and education funding included in the package.
The funding carries particular weight in the District, where the local courts and the D.C. Public Defender Service occupy a rare position. Both entities were created and are funded by Congress, yet are not treated fully as federal agencies or as part of the District government. That structure has left employees vulnerable during budget standoffs and has contributed to staffing freezes and delayed payments during prior funding lapses.
The spending agreement reportedly follows warnings from judges and court officials nationwide about rising threats against members of the judiciary. Federal authorities tracked hundreds of threats against judges last year, with additional cases already logged in the current fiscal year, a trend lawmakers cited in support of increased security funding.
Alongside the spending deal, District Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) has moved to address long-standing gaps in how Congress treats the District’s justice institutions. One bill she introduced would extend the protections of the District of Columbia Human Rights Act to employees of the D.C. courts and the Public Defender Service, ensuring broader safeguards against workplace discrimination than those provided under federal law alone. Norton said the legislation is needed because the courts and defender service sometimes fall outside clear regulatory authority despite their central role in the city’s justice system.
Norton has also reintroduced legislation aimed at expanding the District’s access to federal transportation and infrastructure grants. Her proposal would allow D.C. to compete for four programs currently reserved for states, including funding for buses, rail systems, roadway safety improvements, and environmental projects affecting the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. Norton said the bill reflects the reality that District residents pay federal taxes at higher per-capita rates than residents of any state.
While the appropriations package includes provisions designed to prevent a mid-cycle budget disruption, there remain several long-standing congressional restrictions. Among them is the rider that continues to block the District from establishing a regulated recreational marijuana market, despite voter approval more than a decade ago.
“With this bill, House Republicans have intentionally committed nothing short of fiscal sabotage against D.C.,” Norton said.