February 9, 2026

Last week, the Republican-led U.S. House passed along party lines, H.J. Res. 142 — a disapproval resolution that overturns D.C. Council action, a direct attack on our power of local self-governance. The Senate is likely to vote tomorrow, February 10, on the companion bill, S.J. Res. 102, which has passed out of committee. As we did last week, we are calling on our D.C. and national education community to contact Senators immediately and urge them to vote NO on this resolution and respect the District’s right to govern itself.

In December 2025, the D.C. Council enacted the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act, which seeks to decouple D.C.’s tax code from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—a move that has also been taken by several other states. If passed, H.J. Res. 142 and S.J. Res. 102 would cost the District an estimated $600 million in revenue. These resolutions would also disrupt our tax administration mid-filing season, causing a $400 million cash-flow shortfall in FY 2026 revenue collections due to delayed filings. 

These disapproval resolutions would directly harm D.C. children and families by invalidating local policies designed to reduce child poverty, including D.C.’s new Child Tax Credit and expanded Earned Income Tax Credit. The new and expanded credits are projected to lower child poverty by 20 percent, primarily benefiting households earning less than $61,000 annually. When families lose access to income supports, children experience greater housing instability, food insecurity, chronic absenteeism, and barriers to learning.

Additionally, according to the District’s Chief Financial Officer, congressional interference at this stage would disrupt the current tax filing season, delay refunds, force costly administrative rework, and risk significant cash-flow shortfalls for the District—a harm that could extend to schools as well. It could force the District to take on more short-term borrowing, which in turn will degrade bond ratings and make school modernizations, for example, more expensive. Schools rely on stable, predictable funding, and fiscal uncertainty puts public education—and students at risk.

Although D.C. residents have no voting representation in Congress, these resolutions would override decisions made by locally elected leaders and supported by the community. When Congress interferes with D.C.’s budget, children pay the price.

Call Senators today and urge them to vote NO on S.J. Res. 102!