Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the City Council have paused a scheduled minimum wage increase for tipped workers under Initiative 82, citing concerns about economic strain on local businesses and the city’s reliance on federal funding. While business advocates argue the law accelerates restaurant closures, many tipped workers and supporters believe the voter-approved measure is essential for fair compensation and should be upheld.
Tag: Congress
House passes several ‘anti-D.C. Home Rule’ bills
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed three bills aiming to override D.C.’s local laws, reigniting debates over Home Rule and statehood. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-At-Large) condemned the measures as undemocratic and harmful.
FY26 budget oversight underway as D.C. Council weighs program cuts
This budget season, the D.C. Council is evaluating Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed $2.6 billion budget that cuts funding for essential city programs and shifts Medicaid recipients to a basic health plan.
Attorney General Brown urges court to uphold orders blocking current administration’s attack on USRAP refugees
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined 19 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief opposing Executive Order 14163, which suspends the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program, arguing it unlawfully harms refugee communities and undermines federal law and congressional intent.
What will Congress do about the president violating the constitution
By Dr. John E. Warren The real issue in America is no longer what Donald Trump is doing with his daily and consistent violation of the U.S. Constitution, but rather, what will the Congress do in light of the blatant violations of the Constitution and the Oath of Office. The president and members of Congress […]
Civil Rights Act of 1964 goes back on trial May 12
Southern Education Foundation (SEF) President Raymond Pierce speaks out ahead of SEF’s May 12 federal court defense of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, challenging efforts by the current administration to conflate legally mandated desegregation programs with inclusion, equity, and diversity (IED) initiatives. At stake is the future of the Equity Assistance Center-South, a congressionally authorized civil rights center designed to dismantle racial segregation in public education—not an IED program—operated under SEF’s leadership.
Ward 5 residents invited to help shape the future of RFK Stadium site at May 14 community meeting
By Councilman Zackary Parker (D-Ward 5) Dear Ward 5 neighbors, There’s been a lot of buzz this week around a proposal for the future of the RFK Stadium site. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on May 5 to announce a deal to bring the Commanders back […]
The war on birthright citizenship is a war on all of us
On May 15, 2025, the Supreme Court will hear a case challenging Oval Office Executive Order 14160, which seeks to revoke birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants—threatening a core protection enshrined in the 14th Amendment. If upheld, the order could dismantle over a century of settled law, redefine citizenship as a privilege, and grant future presidents dangerous new power to unilaterally rewrite constitutional rights.
National Urban League convenes leading civil rights, economic justice, and policy organizations to launch Fair Budget Coalition
The National Urban League has launched the Fair Budget Coalition, a new alliance of civil rights and economic justice groups advocating for a federal budget that prioritizes fairness, opportunity and support for underserved communities. As Congress begins Fiscal Year 2026 budget talks, the coalition is urging lawmakers to invest in social programs, equitable tax policies and civil rights protections.
D.C. leadership freezes hiring and pay increases to offset budget gap
Facing a $1.1 billion budget shortfall caused by a federal funding cap, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has enacted immediate government freezes and invoked a law to adjust the District’s budget by 6 percent. With Congress stalled on a funding fix, Bowser warned that further cuts, including furloughs and facility closures, may follow if no action is taken.
Plan to eliminate the Department of Education set in motion by executive order
The 47th president of the United States is focused on dismantling the Department of Education. An executive order to dismantle the agency was signed on March 20.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser agrees to remove Black Lives Matter mural in nation’s capitalÂ
Washington, D.C. leaders will remove the “Black Lives Matter” mural near the White House to avoid funding cuts threatened by White House leadership, after Mayor Muriel Bowser struggled to fend off threats of encroachment from both President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress.

