WASHINGTON (AP) - A Republican congressman from Florida has compared District of Columbia leaders to teenagers for seeking control of their municipal budget.
District voters approved a charter amendment this week that would allow the city government to spend local tax dollars without congressional approval. It's up to Congress to decide whether to let the amendment stand.
In an interview with WTTG-TV on Thursday, Rep. John Mica did not say he was opposed to budget autonomy for the city. He said the district appears to be in good financial shape. But he said that when his children "were young, teenagers, they always wanted budget autonomy, too."
Mica sits on the House committee that oversees the district and says there is still a need for congressional oversight of city affairs.
