Apparently, Congress still considers the District of Columbia as its playground. The new chair of the Senate Appropriates Subcommittee on the District has threatened D.C.'s mayor with financial disaster.
Sen. Sam Brownback (D-Kansas) told Mayor Anthony Williams that if the District recognizes same-sex marriages, it will likely lose federal money and domestic-partner benefits. That's serious stuff to the District, which can't tax like a state can. It gets about $8 billion from Congress every year to run the show.
News reports quote the bristly senator as, "I was hopeful we weren't going to be confronting this issue. But it appears there will need to be a review and a discussion."
That's pretty strong posturing, but not surprising from someone who may run for POTUS in 2008.
From his office, Williams has consulted with each the District CFO and attorney general. He expects to have a decision soon.
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