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Committee on Transportation & the Environment

Budget Report Analysis - This report reflects my Committee’s commitment to ensuring that the District reaches its goals of providing safe, reliable, and equitable transportation options; that we create and maintain high-quality infrastructure; that we invest in sustainability and protect the environment; that the health and well-being of residents is protected; that there are strong investments in public health and education; and that we support economic development and our small business community. Important developments for Ward 3 include funding to establish a new Main Streets program and new Small Area Plan for the Chevy Chase neighborhood.

Link to the Full Committee Report - Transportation & the Environment

Report Highlights -

Funds the Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act, which ensures that employees who walk, bike, or take transit to work receive an equal incentive as those who drive
Commits over $30,000,000 to the 11th Street Bridge Park project to transform the aged, unused span of the 11th Street Bridge into a signature, elevated park in the District
Maintains $17,849,000 for the Bus Priority and Efficiency Initiative. This initiative supports improvements such as painted bus lanes and bus lane enforcement, prioritizing bus travel, and improving accessibility
Provides $539,000 to fund the preliminary design study for the Arizona Avenue connection to the Capital Crescent Trail
$283,000 for Environmental Literacy grants to support organizations that provide environmental education programs to District elementary schools
Fully funds the Urban Farming Land Lease Amendment Act that allows the Office of Urban Agriculture to issue grants to urban farmers in the District for infrastructure and operating support, and to perform soil testing
Restores funds for school breakfast reimbursements and increases subsidies to improve the quality of and access to school meals
Restores $844,400 to the Healthy Tots program, which subsidizes healthy meals served at District childcare facilities
Increases access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) through outreach activities
Provides $1,920,000 over four years to permanently increase the Healthy Schools Act Fund and $440,000 to support the Healthy Schools Act wellness grants
Reinstates funding to the District's wildlife rehabilitation services grant (this funding currently supports the work done by City Wildlife)
$215,000 for senior financial intervention services for adults 60 years and older with memory loss and other cognitive impairments
Provides $200,000 for senior center programming (with a focus on serving seniors who speak a language other than English)

Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety

Brief Analysis - The time has come for a fundamental reimagining of policing and public safety in the District of Columbia and our country. For weeks, ordinary citizens from every state and across the world have marched in the streets—largely peacefully—using their collective voice to call for change. And we are at the start of a change that is appropriate and desperately needed. We know that there are too many people in prisons, that we criminalize too much, and that we rely on police officers to do too much, and this leads me to the conclusion that responsible reinvestment is not just appropriate, but necessary.

Many will be disappointed that the Judiciary Committee's budget did not make more fundamental changes to MPD. But it is important to remember that this is not the end of the conversation. In fact, it is just the beginning. Just as we cannot dismantle racist systems by passing one bill, we’re not going to be able to reimagine public safety in the District with one budget or within one agency. This budget makes vital reinvestments in violence interruption and restorative justice, and continues the work that the Council has already begun in addressing systemic racism and the legacy of slavery in our public safety agencies and our criminal justice system. And this is all part of a continuing effort to move to a point of true equity, fairness, and safety in our community. It is a first and responsible step.

Link to the Full Committee Report - Judiciary & Public Safety

Budget Report Highlights -

Creates a new Gun Violence Prevention Director position to spearhead the District’s inter-agency strategy for preventing gun violence
Restores all $675,000 in cuts to violence prevention and intervention contracts at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE)
Creates a new program at ONSE – the Restorative Justice Collaborative – to coordinate and foster restorative justice programming and practices within the District government in partnership with District community-based organizations, with a focus on the 18-to-35-year old population
Makes the Criminal Code Reform Commission – which had been funded to sunset halfway through FY21 – permanent, thereby ensuring an independent agency will pursue criminal code reform and best practices in criminal law
Restores funding for the Office on Returning Citizen Affairs’ successful Paralegal Training Program
Increases staff at the Office on Human Rights to support hate crimes education and coordination
Restores $1.9 million in net cuts to the victim services program at the Office of Victim Services & Justice Grants and adds an additional $3.4 million enhancement, for a total of $27.5 million for victim services grants
$3 million funding for a new domestic violence shelter
$500,000 for a new wrap-around workforce development program for transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming District residents
Invests $86 million over 6 years to support the Department of Fire and Emergency Service’s apparatus needs, including $13.5 million to purchase new ladder trucks and $23 million to purchase new ambulances
Restores the proposed reduction of Maternal Mortality Review Committee staff at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to improve maternal health outcomes
Increases staffing at the Board of Elections to implement Councilmember Cheh's paid leave to vote legislation

Committee on Health

Budget Report Analysis - The agencies under this Committee's oversight are vital to the health and well-being of our residents, particularly our most vulnerable: children, seniors, those who are financially unstable or homeless, or those living with chronic health conditions. And, amidst a global pandemic, the funding of our public health agencies becomes that much more important. This was a particularly difficult budget process for the Mayor and the Council. The Mayor had to account for over $700 million in lost revenue due to the economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. And the Committee faced a difficult challenge in providing sufficient moneys for many needs but also accounting for substantial cuts to major agencies. I do believe, however, that this Committee has put forth a number of good investments and proposals, some of which are listed below.

Link to the Full Committee Report - Health

Report Highlights -

The budget preserves funding for critical healthy food access programs, including Produce Rx, Produce Plus, the Healthy Corner Stores Partnership Program, and Joyful Food Markets
The Committee proposed to move Produce Rx from DC Health to the Department of Healthcare Finance (DHCF). Produce Rx is a “food as medicine” program that enables doctors to prescribe fresh fruit and vegetables to patients experiencing diet-related chronic illnesses. By moving the Produce Rx Program to DHCF, we will be better able to integrate access to healthy food with public health management and healthcare delivery for our residents. This cutting-edge program, supported and nurtured by DC Health, will continue to be a strong asset to the District inside of DHCF, supporting their efforts to integrate social determinants of health into primary care for Medicaid patients
Preserves funding to the Women, Infants, and Children Amendment Act of 2018 to expand access to WIC as well as accepted a transfer from my committee of $75,000 in one-time funds to support the development of a strategic WIC Outreach Plan

Committee on Business & Economic Development

Budget Report Analysis - During this public health crisis, which has also become an economic crisis, it is key that the District continue to make investments that support our small and local business community and help them dig out from the economic collapse wrought by COVID-19. I was pleased by the work the Committee did on its agency budgets and am particularly supportive of the Committee's steadfast commitment to racial equity, led by Councilmember McDuffie, that you will see reflected in their report.

Link to the Full Committee Report - Business & Economic Development

Report Highlights -

The inclusion of a Budget Support Act (BSA) Subtitle to advance the “Racial Equity Achieves Results Amendment Act,” as well as the necessary funding for implementation
Expansion of the Department of Small and Local Business Development's authority to issue loans and grants for business operations disrupted by District infrastructure projects
Investing in two new Clean Teams (Clean Teams provide a number of services, including cleaning up litter, recycling, graffiti removal, landscaping, and other neighborhood improvements while providing jobs to District residents at a living wage, often to those who otherwise have difficulty in finding employment)
The creation of an Equity Impact Fund, which is dedicated to providing funding to small, local minority and women-owned businesses that lack access to conventional commercial lending and financing options
Improving the BSA Subtitle named the “Tax Abatements for Affordable Housing in High-Need Areas,” by removing the 350 unit project size minimum, so that smaller developers may be included

Committe on Facilities & Procurement

Budget Report Analysis - The agencies under this Committee’s jurisdiction include the Department of General Services (DGS), which I oversaw for a number of years. The services provided by DGS are integral to the successful operation of our schools, parks, and District-owned facilities across the District. I was very pleased to see the increased investments in the Committee budget for the important services that DGS, as well as our Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, the Office on Returning Citizens, and more, provide. There were also some very creative and generous investments in our LGBT+ community that I'm very happy to support.

Link to the Full Committee Report - Facilities & Procurement

Report Highlights -

Subsidizes the employment of returning citizens through a new program at the Office on Returning Citizens Affairs that connects returning citizens and interested employers who can offer a long-term career
Continues housing support with 20 housing vouchers for returning citizens
Creates a new funding source to support Advisory Neighborhood Commissions with audio-visual technology, printing, website support, and remote meetings as well as adding a Technical Support Director to offer enhanced assistance to Commissioners
Allocates $100,000 for community dining supports for LGBT+ seniors to combat social isolation
Expands violence prevention efforts with $200,000 for the Cure the Streets Initiative at the Office of the Attorney General
Proposing an amendment to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact to establish an Independent Police Complaints Board to ensure police accountability
Provides an additional $100,000 for outreach to the homeless to connect those in need with support services
Retrofits District government buildings to reduce energy usage with an additional $1,400,000 investment
Increases funding for lead abatement by $2,000,000 to address the sources of lead recently identified at parks and playgrounds across the District
Accelerates $1,141,000 in the capital budget for Eastern Market to improve the operations, safety, and appearance of the Eastern Market building

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to email the office directly or reach us via phone through our main line at (202) 724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services requests.