(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser issued the following statement in response to the passage of H.R. 3351, the Fiscal Year 2020 House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act.

“We thank the House of Representatives for affirming the District’s right to self-governance and that we, like every other jurisdiction in the United States, deserve to spend our local funds on priorities that match our values. We urge the Senate to follow suit. In the meantime, the Council should schedule a hearing for the Safe Cannabis Sales Act to ensure we are prepared to implement a responsible tax and regulate system for adult-use of recreational marijuana.”

The bill removes several previous riders that intruded on District of Columbia home rule:

• Eliminates a ban on the use of local funds for abortion services
• Eliminates a ban on the use of local funds to commercialize recreational marijuana
• Eliminates a provision appropriating local District funds