DC Vote Responds to Attorney General’s Legal Opinion on Congressional Disapproval of the District’s Tax Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 24, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 24, 2026) — Today, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued a legal opinion concluding that Congress failed to meet the legal requirements necessary to overturn the District’s locally enacted tax law.

If correct, that means Congress’ disapproval resolution was not only an attack on D.C.’s self-government, it was also legally ineffective. 

For weeks, 700,000 D.C. residents have been caught in chaos created by Congress’ unprecedented interference in the District’s local tax policy. City officials warned that the disapproval could cost hundreds of millions in revenue, disrupt tax filing season for tens of thousands of residents, and create serious uncertainty for families and businesses.

“The Attorney General has made clear that Congress may have missed the very deadline required under the D.C. Home Rule Act to block the law,” said Stasha Rhodes, Senior Director of Public Affairs, DC Vote.

“What Congress attempted to do is taxation without representation in real time. All 50 states can make their own tax decisions without Congress stepping in because states have sovereignty. DC does not, and that is the problem. When the anti-democratic majority in Congress tries to bulldoze local laws at the last minute, it throws tax season into chaos and puts our finances, services, and democracy at risk. Until D.C. becomes the 51st state, political actors will keep treating Washingtonians like second-class citizens.”

“Whether Congress ultimately accepts this legal interpretation or seeks to escalate the dispute, one fact remains: As long as D.C. is denied statehood, Congress retains the power to meddle in the District’s local affairs, even when doing so creates instability and confusion for residents.

“D.C. residents pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and fulfill every obligation of citizenship. They deserve certainty in their laws and the right to govern themselves without interference.

“Statehood is the only permanent solution.”