House panel votes 23-18 to curb D.C.'s power to raise taxes

Washington, D.C. — July 22, 2026

A U.S. House committee voted 23-18 on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to advance a bill requiring congressional approval before D.C. can raise taxes or fees, according to WJLA.

The measure, the D.C. Taxing Authority Review Act, would change D.C.'s Home Rule tax process. Under current law, D.C. Council tax changes take effect automatically unless Congress votes to block them. The bill would reverse that, requiring Congress to affirmatively approve any D.C. tax or fee increase first.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who introduced the bill, said it was meant to check what he called the D.C. Council's "reckless fiscal policies," WJLA reported.

Mayor Muriel Bowser opposed the bill, saying it would set back D.C.'s recovery from the pandemic, federal remote work, and federal workforce cuts, and that tax incentives would help the District's economy more than a cap on its taxing power, according to WJLA. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat, argued Congress should not take on setting D.C.'s budget, WJLA reported.

The bill does not change tax policy in any Northern Virginia jurisdiction, but the region's economy is tied to the District's, since many Northern Virginia residents work for the federal government or federal contractors.

The bill next goes to the full House floor and would still need Senate approval to become law.