Justice
D.C.'s Mayor Says City Is on the Verge of a Crisis Due to Shutdown
Vincent Gray is demanding a meeting with President Obama and Congress.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray sent letters to President Obama and congressional leaders today in which he demanded a meeting. The city, Gray says, is on the verge of a crisis due to the government shutdown.
In his letter, Gray reiterated what district denizens and Beltway politicians all know: "[F]ederal law prevents us from spending our own local tax dollars to provide services for which our residents have already paid." A release on the mayor's website notes that "a shutdown of this length without permitting the District to use its own funds is unprecedented."