‘Absolutely absurd’: Senate forces District of Columbia to fully adopt Trump’s signature policy
The Senate voted along party lines Wednesday evening to advance a resolution forcing Washington, D.C. to enact all of the tax benefits within President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The D.C. City Council in November chose to block some of Republicans’ federal tax changes, including no tax on tips and overtime pay, from going into effect at the local level. Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who authored the resolution of disapproval overriding D.C.’s local tax code, argued that passage of the resolution would benefit some D.C. residents and businesses financially.
“It is absolutely absurd that self-interested D.C. bureaucrats would deliberately deny families and businesses from saving their own, hard-earned dollars,” Scott said in a statement. “Government’s top priority should be serving families, not benefiting off them.”
The House passed a similar resolution of disapproval on Feb. 4 to reverse the D.C. city council’s decision in a vote of 215-210 over Democrats’ fierce objections. The measure now heads to President Donald Trump for signature. He is expected to sign the resolution of disapproval into law.
Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is recovering from flu-like symptoms, did not vote.
Republicans have sharply criticized several Democratic-led states – such as New York, California, Colorado, Maine and Illinois – for refusing to implement all of the tax reforms within the president’s budget law. Sixty nine percent of Americans support no taxes on tips and overtime pay, per a January Rainey Center Poll.
“By denying their residents access to these important tax cuts, these governors and legislators are forcing hardworking Americans to shoulder higher state tax burdens, robbing them of the relief they deserve and exacerbating the financial squeeze on low- and middle-income households,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in December.
The “no taxes on tips” policy is expected to benefit millions of tipped workers from restaurant employees to taxi and rideshare drivers and hospitality workers.
Democrats have also voiced support for some of the tax benefits within Republicans’ budget law despite voting against the measure. Democratic Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen joined Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on the No Tax On Tips Act, which the Senate passed in May 2025 by unanimous consent.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser warned that congressional action would disrupt the District’s tax filing season, which is already underway.
“Disapproval at this stage would create huge administrative challenges, require taxpayers to re-file their taxes, render existing guidance and forms obsolete and necessitate rapid mid-year changes to the tax administration systems,” Bowser and D.C. city council chairman Phil Mendelson wrote in a Feb. 2 letter to congressional leaders.
Washington D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton took to the House floor Thursday to argue against the GOP-authored resolution of disapproval, claiming the current tax filing season would have to be suspended for several months to allow the District time to update tax forms. She also said that implementing the tax breaks would cost the city $600 million in revenue.
The Republican-controlled Congress has taken several steps to conduct oversight of D.C. during Trump’s second term.
Last November, the House passed legislation to crack down on crime in the District, but the bills have since stalled in the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.
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