Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman plans to initiate an autonomy bill that would give the nation’s capital greater control over its municipal budget. Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent and former member of the Democratic Party, is a longtime supporter of budget autonomy and Congressional voting rights for the District of Columbia. On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Senate Committee, who oversees D.C., said Lieberman plans to introduce the bill soon, but had no further details.
Leaders in D.C. have been pushing for the ability to set their own fiscal year and spend local tax dollars without Congressional approvals. In 2011, Representative Darrell Issa, R-Calif., introduced a similar bill, but it was rejected by District leaders because it would have barred D.C. from funding abortions to underprivileged women.
