Rep laments budget cut in US
The Shadow Representative for the District of Columbia in the United States, Dr Oye Owolewa, has condemned the reduction of the budget affecting his constituency under President Donald Trump’s administration.
He said the growing budget crisis required urgent action from Congress as it threatened to devastate Washington, DC.
The Nigerian-American politician made this known in a press statement on Thursday.
He raised the alarm following the decision of the Department of Health and Human Services to cut over $12bn in federal funds to states about two weeks ago.
“We are in the middle of a financial emergency, and Congress is holding our money hostage,” Owolewa said.
“The refusal to bring the District of Columbia Local Funds Act — our long-overdue budget fix—up for a vote is not just a political oversight; it’s a deliberate act of negligence with real consequences for our communities.”
The politician said without immediate Congressional action, “DC is staring down a $1.1 billion cut.”
“That means fewer police officers on the streets, fewer teachers in classrooms, fewer firefighters responding to emergencies, fewer sanitation workers cleaning our neighbourhoods, and fewer Metro employees keeping our city moving,” he added.
Owolewa warned that the crisis was not just about his constituency, but that it would affect the rest of the US.
Meanwhile, days earlier, the trained pharmacist criticised the US Supreme Court’s ruling that permitted the Trump administration to proceed with the termination of approximately 16,000 probationary federal employees.
The Supreme Court backed Trump on Tuesday to fire thousands of federal workers in their probationary period. It said the government employee unions that sued lacked legal standing.
Reacting, the Nigerian-born politician said, “This ruling is a constitutional crisis in the making. Let’s be clear, this isn’t about bureaucracy; it’s about power. It’s about revenge.”
He added, “It’s about turning the federal government into a loyalty club, where you either pledge allegiance to a person or risk losing your job. Donald Trump has already made it clear he intends to purge the government and replace career public servants with people who will bend to his will.”
