Dear Neighbor,

It has already been a long week and an even longer budget process. Looking back to where things started with the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget in May to where things landed this past Monday with the final vote, I am proud of the work the Council did in the face of a very difficult fiscal environment. This edition of the newsletter provides updates on where things have landed this budget cycle and recaps the work of the Committee on Health.

In Service,  

Christina Henderson
Councilmember, At-Large
ChristinaHendersonDC.com

You guys cut $30 million?!

During Monday’s consideration of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget, Chairman Phil Mendelson proposed an amendment to cut $30 million from enhancements the Council made two weeks prior. Why? Good question. You may recall that in the June 30 revenue estimate from the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), it was projected that revenue for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) would be up by about $243 million. The Council decided to use a portion of those revenues to make enhancements for proposed spending on several programs for FY26. Unfortunately, after the first vote, the CFO communicated that all $243 million would be necessary in the current fiscal year to address three items:  

1. Overspending by agencies created in part due to congressional inference on the FY25 spending levels;
2. Replenishing federally mandated spending reserves; and
3. Additional unbudgeted expenses, including the school year advance payments to local education agencies (LEAs) and bond escrow payments.

If the funding were not available to be spent on these items, the CFO would not be able to attest that the District’s budget was in fact balanced. This was a big problem. The District has not passed an unbalanced budget in nearly 30 years and doing so would exacerbate existing threats to DC Home Rule and our ability to govern. For those reasons, I supported Chairman Phil Mendelson’s amendment to remove $30 million from the FY26 budget and instead make funding those additional enhancements contingent upon certification from the CFO that additional revenues are available.  

Ranked Choice Voting Prevails    

Support for ranked choice voting (RCV), which was a portion of Initiative 83, prevailed during Monday’s second budget vote, despite an amendment that would have required the Board of Elections to spend $400,000 on an institutional needs assessment and ultimately derail the implementation of RCV. Councilmember Brooke Pinto did offer an amendment during the debate to fund the second portion of Initiative 83 on semi-open primaries for Independents. I supported that amendment, but unfortunately it failed 5-6-1.

Amending Initiative 82

On Monday, I partnered with Councilmember Charles Allen regarding Initiative 82 and the tipped minimum wage. My goal in moving that amendment was to respect the spirit of I-82 – ensuring that workers are paid fairly, receiving regular increases and the wages they deserve, but paced at a rate that is fair and manageable for the restaurant and bar industry that has been taking a lot of hits financially.

Under the proposed amendment, the base tipped minimum wage amount would remain at $10/hr until July 1, 2026. Thereafter, the tipped minimum wage would be tied to the overall minimum wage as a percentage, starting at 56%, which is the current percentage of the $10 tipped minimum wage, to the overall minimum wage of $17.95. On July 1, 2028, the percentage match increases to 60%, then increases by 5% every two years thereafter. By July 2034 the base tipped minimum wage amount would be 75% of the minimum wage and capped at that rate. Under this model, DC would have one of the highest tipped minimum wages in the country.    

To address concerns about paycheck transparency and wage theft that workers have raised, we proposed requiring employers to clearly identify all sources of wages on pay stubs, such as service charges, ensuring workers are aware of how their wages are calculated and whether they are correctly compensated. Additionally, we proposed implementing a biennial study of tax data from restaurants and tipped workers conducted by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), which will provide a neutral, data-driven perspective on the industry’s overall health and changes to workers’ wages due to policy. This approach will provide an accurate, comprehensive source of information through which we can evaluate the industry’s health.

This amendment was a compromise. A majority of Councilmembers did not support the idea of moving forward with Initiative 82 with absolutely no changes given what we were seeing in the market in DC. In fact, at the first reading of the budget, there was a proposed amendment to freeze the base tipped minimum wage at $8/hr, a decrease from the current $10/hr. Our amendment allows for annual wage increases.

A fundamental principle of good governance is to regularly evaluate existing laws and revise them for the benefit of current and future residents. I know a lot of people are upset with this change, but I could not simply ignore what was happening with our restaurant and hospitality industry. This amendment was designed to alleviate hardships while preserving the law’s intended spirit. It also allows for future adjustments, if needed.

This was an especially tough budget cycle for the health and human services cluster. The Executive proposed a number of funding cuts and programmatic changes to slow the cost growth of some programs and address the dramatic loss of federal funding in the public health sphere. Here’s an updated summary of what we were able to accomplish in the Committee, including funding 5 pieces of critical legislation:

Enhance Support for Behavioral Health and Substance Use Treatment  

• Extend the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Services Targeted Outreach Grants by providing an additional $1,000,000 from a transfer from the Committee on Transportation & the Environment and the Opioid Abatement Settlement Fund, and an additional $750,000 from a transfer from the Committee on Public Works and Operations to provide support and connections to treatment for individuals in need of substance abuse and behavioral health services at 6 locations in Wards 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8 with concentrated outdoor drug use

• Extend critical funding to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Illicit Drug Surveillance program by providing $400,000 from the Opioid Abatement Settlement Fund to sustain the agency’s forensic toxicology testing and development of new forensic testing methods  

• Fully fund the “Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard Amendment Act of 2024,” (D.C. Law 25-0279) which will improve access to behavioral health resources for children, through a transfer of $111,599 in recurring funds for 1 FTE from the Committee on Youth Affairs  

• Fully implement the “Counseling Compact Approval Act of 2024,” (D.C. Law 25-0238) by working with the Department of Health to absorb the costs of the legislation  

• Fully fund B25-0692, the “Enhancing Mental Health Crisis Support and Hospitalization Amendment Act of 2024” (D.C. Law 25-0304), which will enhance processes and transparency for the District’s involuntary psychiatric hospital admissions, by providing $662,700 in recurring funds to the Department of Behavioral Health  

Increase Healthy Food Access  

• Extend the Grocery Access Pilot Program at $120,000, enabling 1,000 residents who participate in educational programs under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) to purchase groceries online without delivery fees  

• Restore $200,000 in one-time funds to backfill the cancellation of the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement grant program for purchases of locally grown produce from Dreaming Out Loud, to ensure an on-time opening of the new Marion Barry Avenue Market, which will provide fresh food and job opportunities in Ward 8  

• Fully fund the “Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025,” (B26-0109) which will support the operations of farmers markets in low food access areas, including streamlining the application to operate a farmers market in the District, by providing $493,829 to DC Health and $225,000 to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection through a transfer to the Committee on Public Works and Operations

Improve Health for Birthing Parents and Families

• Increase home visiting services for first time parents by approving a $100,000 increase, and accepting a transfer of $300,000 from the Committee on Public Works & Operations, for a total of $625,000 for the Nurse Family Partnership  

• Approve $500,000 in recurring funds for the distribution of diapers, formula, and other essential supplies via a grant to the DC Diaper Bank

Enhance Patient Care and Outcomes  

• Increase access to HIV, STI, and tuberculous testing and treatment by allocating $410,681 in recurring funding to DC Health for the DC Health and Wellness Center to expand hours to one evening per week and two Saturdays per month

• Restore funding for critical HIV/AIDS prevention work at DC Health, including10 FTEs to continue doing contract tracing for likely HIV exposure and performing data and policy analysis for HIV surveillance  

• Restore $4.2 million in FY 2026 and $12.6 million over the financial plan to strike several provisions in the Mayor’s proposed DC Health Care Alliance Reform Amendment Act of 2025 that would have led to limits on eligibility and benefits for Alliance beneficiaries  

Specifically, the Committee on Health made the following changes to the Alliance:

• Remove the 6-month face-to-face recertification requirement for adults and youth through the financial plan

• Push back the date halting new Alliance enrollees from August 1, 2025 to October 1, 2025

• Increase the moratorium age for new Alliance beneficiaries from 21 to 26 in FY 2026 and allow for 26 year-olds to remain covered beyond their birthday

• Allow public school enrollment to count as proof of residency

• Restore coverage of durable medical equipment (DME) for all adults through FY 2027

• Restore coverage of DME for youth through the financial plan and

• Ensure a 90-day grace period to complete renewals, and allow for (if deemed eligible) retroactive coverage

• Approve the creation of a Basic Health Program within the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority in order to maintain health care coverage for the approximately 25,500 residents who will no longer be eligible for Medicaid due to eligibility changes  

• Expand the role of the Office of the Health Care Ombudsman and Bill of Rights to include other public benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs by adding an additional 2 FTEs within Department of Health Care Finance

Strengthen the Health Care Workforce  

• Fund the “Certified Nurse Aide Workforce Support Amendment Act of 2025” included in the Budget Support Act by providing $150,000 to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to partner with a local university to train at least 25 District high school students to become certified nurse aides (CNAs) through a transfer to the Committee of the Whole

• Fund the “Department of Health Licensure Pathways Program Amendment Act of 2025” included in the Budget Support Act by adding 1 FTE at DC Health to assist internationally trained health professionals in obtaining licensure and credentials to practice in the District  

• Strengthening the long-term care workforce to support seniors and other District residents who use long-term care services in the District by creating a Long-Term Care Strategic Coordinator role in the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services

Promote Student Health and Achievement

• Approve an extension of the Sexual Health Peer Educators Grant at $150,000, which will provide training and stipends to high school students to serve as student health educators, teaching their fellow students about pregnancy prevention, consent, STIs, and other related topics  

• Approve the transfer of the School Health Services Program and the School Based Health Centers from outside grants to in-house administration at DC Health, in order to improve school health services, including plan to create 222 FTEs at DC Health  

• Transfer the administration of the School-Based Behavioral Health Program from the Department of Behavioral Health to the Department of Health to improve the program’s performance

Improve Access to Critical Health Care Infrastructure  

• Fully fund the “Certificate of Need Improvement Amendment Act of 2025” (D.C. Law 26-0007), which will make it easier for new health care providers to locate in the District, by providing $586,000 to DC Health  

• Restore $907,000 for the Court Urgent Care Clinic located within the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Moultrie Courthouse    ‍

• Require DBH to award grants for the operation of the SBBH Program at a rate of no less than $120,000 per clinician, and mandate that the agency submit a comprehensive improvement plan to the Council and Mayor by October 15, 2025, outlining its strategy to strengthen and transform the program.

Supporting Neighborhood Libraries

• The Committee prioritized filling critical funding holes within the health agencies this year and had very limited funds to transfer to other Committees. However, the Committee did transfer $500,000 to the Committee on Human Services to restore the Mayor’s proposed cut to the DC Public Library collections

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Ward 8 Health Council Meeting

On Wednesday, July 16, Senior Policy Advisor Marcia Huff attended the Ward 8 Health Council meeting held at Community College Preparatory Academy. Huff provided budget updates focused on changes to the District's Alliance and Medicaid programs, funding allocations for opioid-targeted outreach, and the Committee’s directive for the Department of Behavioral Health to strengthen the School-Based Behavioral Health program. The meeting also included updates from Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center on hospital operations, as well as presentations from Black Women Thriving East of the River and Advocates for Justice and Education.

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Symposium

The next day, on Thursday, July 17, Senior Policy Advisor Marcia Huff attended the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) symposium on integrated behavioral health. The symposium brought together leaders from across health care, policy, and advocacy for an important and timely conversation: How can academic health systems and their partners—patients, families, clinicians, and policymakers—collaborate to embed integrated behavioral health (IBH) into care delivery and improve outcomes?

Participants discussed best practices for implementing IBH models, reducing stigma, addressing workforce challenges, and ensuring equitable access to behavioral health services. The event also highlighted the essential role of cross-sector partnerships in building a more responsive and holistic health care system.

Food and Agriculture Regional Policy Forum

To close the week, on Friday, July 18, Health Committee Director Ona Balkus joined the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) for their Food and Agriculture Regional Policy Forum. The forum included conversation on federal changes that impact farmers, technical assistance providers, and the agricultural economy; the potential impact of tariffs on farmers and consumers; and opportunities for local, state, and regional collaboration to aid in mitigating impact. During her attendance, Balkus facilitated a panel examining how federal actions have impacted initiatives to connect local and regional farmers with schools, food banks, and vulnerable community members. The panel also provided information on how proposed changes to SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid will affect food insecure residents, the organizations that support them, and state and local governments.

Jay St NE and Division Ave NE Safety Walk

On Tuesday, July 22, Legislative Aide Taylor Coleman and Communications Director Sierra Wallace joined ANC Commissioner Patricia Stamper (SMD 7C06) for a street safety walk in Ward 7 along with other Councilmembers’ offices and members of the Metropolitan Police Department. The walk included the 5300 black of Jay St NE and allowed participants to identify infrastructure and safety issues in real time. Points of attention included clogged drains, overgrown public property, vacant and deteriorating properties, and locations of car and home break-ins.  

2025 Aging in America Summit

On Wednesday, July 23, Health Policy Advisor Rebecca Cooper attended the 2025 Signature Series Summit: Aging in America. The event was organized by Alliance for Health Policy and included critical conversation about aging grounded in evidence and real-world experience. Topics of note were: the changing nature of aging in the six decades since Medicare and Medicaid were introduced; ways to promote autonomy among aging people, reduce costs, and increase support for an aging population; and programs and policies that improve outcomes for all people.

Mubadala Citi Open

On Sunday, July 27, Councilmember Henderson attended the Mubadala Citi Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. The event is one of the oldest tournaments in tennis and is the only combined ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) 500 tournament in the world. Held in Rock Creek Park since its founding in 1969, the event is also the longest-running pro tennis event to be held in an equal-access public park. Councilmember Henderson is pictured with Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert; the Mubadala Citi Open Owner Mark Ein; Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (Ward 4); Councilmember Brooke Pinto (Ward 2); and founder of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, Cora Masters Barry.

NASA Rover and Cell Phone Locker Internship Presentation

To close out the month, Councilmember Henderson attended the NASA Rover and Cell Phone Locker Internship presentation supported by On-Ramps to Careers at McKinley Technology High School. She viewed several presentation by students demonstrating their engineering and craftsmanship skills. DCPS schools will implement a District wide ban on student personal cellular devices this coming fall. This came as a result of "Disconnect Act of 2025", legislation introduced by Councilmember Brooke Pinto that Councilmember Henderson voted in support of.

1. D.C. Council approves ranked-choice voting, rejects rollback of tipped wage law (for now), Martin Austermuhle for the 51st, 07/14/2025
2. D.C. Council adopts ranked choice voting, affirming November ballots, Special to the AFRO for the AFRO, 07/15/2025
3. DC Council keeps Initiative 82 in place, funds ranked-choice voting in budget, Christian Flores for WJLA, 07/15/2025
4. Crunch time: What you need to know about the D.C. Council’s budget vote, Martin Austermuhle for the 51st,  07/15/2025
5. Trayon White faces trust issues, slim mandate as he returns to D.C. Council, Jenny Gathright and Meagan Flynn for the Washington Post, 07/16/2025
6. Ward 8 residents react after DC Council member Trayon White’s reelection, John Domen for WTOP, 07/16/2025
7. House Republicans eye restrictions in D.C. traffic safety, abortion and more, Olivia George, Meagan Flynn, and Jenny Gathright for the Washington Post, 07/22/2025
8. DC council chair claims support for RFK stadium bill, but vote count shows uncertainty, Erick Flack for WUSA9, 7/24/2024
9. Fair wage advocates dispute DC restaurant closure data, Matt Pusatory for WUSA9, 07/28/2025
10. D.C. Council waters down I-82, affecting local restaurants, Anna Spiegel for AXIOS DC, 07/28/2025
11. Anger erupts as DC Council passes tipped wagged compromise, Jackie Benson and Sophia Barnes for NBC 4 Washington, 07/28/2025
12. D.C. Council's compromise on tipped wages undermine voters' will, advocates day, Tim Carman for the Washington Post, 07/29/2025
13. Facing pressure and protests, D.C. Council partially repeals tipped wage ballot initiative, Martin Austermuhle for the 51st, 07/29/2025
14. Five winners and losers in D.C.'s 2026 budget, Jenny Gathright and Meagan Flynn for the Washington Post, 07/30/2025
15. D.C. Council grills Bowser and the Commanders president on RFK stadium deal, Meagan Flynn and Jenny Gathright for the Washington Post, 07/30/2025

West Porch Fridays

Union Station is proud to introduce West Porch Fridays, taking place every Fridaythis summer (June 27th – September 26th) from 11:30am – 3:30pm. West Porch Fridays is a curated farmer’s market, featuring local makers and growers, a variety of music and more! Each week will bring something new and different to this historic venue.  

Magic Wednesdays

Join Majic 102.3’s Vic Jagger, DJ Rico, DJ Face and the best local R&B, Go-Go and Jazz bands for a free summer concert series in DC. Bring your friends, family, and good energy to Sycamore & Oak (1110 Oak Dr. SE) every Wednesday starting at 6:30pm to 8:30pm from June 11 to August 13, 2025, and let’s make this season unforgettable with great music and community spirit!  

Please note that seating is limited, and for safety and comfort, lawn chairs are NOT permitted.

Med Mania Carnival

Step right up to the Med Mania Carnival, an unforgettable celebration of health, wellness, and high-energy fun—powered by Medical Ascension Youth Leaders! The carnival will offer games, cooking demonstrations, live boxing training sessions, flight simulators, and more! Come out on Saturday, August 2, 2025 to the University of District of Columbia Congress Heights Campus (3100 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE) from 11:00am to 2:00pm.

You can RSVP for this interactive community event, here.

Hillcrest Neighborhood Walking Tour

Join the DC History Center with neighborhood expert, historian and 29 year, Ward 7 resident Jim Byers to learn about the history of this lesser-known neighborhood!

Learn about the history of the neighborhood, who lives there, and the access and transportation inequities which make Hillcrest feel "remote" to those west of the river.This tour is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Our priority audience is Hillcrest residents, both new and longtime neighbors, but we welcome all guests. Tour dates are August 2 and September 6 from 10:30am to 12:30pm, participants will meet at 32nd Street Southeast & Camden Street SE.

You can RSVP for this event, here. Registration is free but required to participate.  

2025 Late Skate

Come get your skate on! Join APACC, Friends of Anacostia Park, the LinkUP DC and the National Park Service for a day of music, recreation and kinship in DC's most storied skating venue. Saturdays from 4:00pm to 10:00pm at Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion (1500 Anacostia Drive). Free skate rentals!

Dates

• August 13
• September 10
• October 29

Have a constituent service need related to the Health Committee or any of the other agencies in DC Government? Want Councilmember Henderson to come to your community event or meeting? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Constituent Services Director Ana Berrios-Vazquez during regular business hours (9:00am - 5:30pm) at 202-724-8105, or ABerriosVazquez@dccouncil.gov.  

DC Youth Meals Program

Hunger doesn’t take a summer break. This summer, youth 18 and younger have access to no-cost meals at over 100 sites across the city. No application or ID required. When school is out, the meals served as a part of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are not available to all students, and due to families' limited budgets, or other circumstances, children will often miss wholesome meals. The DC Youth Meals Program was established to fill this hunger gap and ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.

You can find no cost meals for youth 18 and younger across the city. Find a site near you at one of the links below.  

Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 4 Ward 5 Ward 6 Ward 7  Ward 8

Plan Ahead with DC Metro

On June 29, 2025, Metro implemented its all-new bus network. The new bus network contains all new bus routes and names. You can use Metros updated Trip Planner to help you plan your trip ahead of time.  

Keep Cool at DC Cooling Centers

When the temperature or heat index in the District reaches 95 degrees, District Government, through the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), will implement the Heat Emergency Plan and activate cooling centers for residents to seek relief.  

You can find a list of cooling centers, here.

Clear the Shelters

The Brandywine Valley SPCA is excited to be teaming up with NBCUniversal for its annual Clear The Shelters adoption event on Saturday, August 2. Join Brandywine at either of their locations — 1201 New York Ave NE or 4 DC Village Lane SW — where adoption fees for all pets (big, small, young, old, and everything in between) will be waived. If you've been thinking about welcoming a furry friend into your family, this will be the perfect time!

You can learn more about Brandywine Valley SPCA and its services atbvspca.org/dc.  

To report an animal in distress in the District, please call BVSPCA at (202) 888-PETS.

Student Loan Support, Counseling and Resources

The Office of the Student Loan Ombudsman (OSLO) will be hosting drop-in hours for residents throughout the summer. Remaining sessions are Tuesday, August 12, andTuesday, September 9, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking headquarters (1050 First St NE, Suite 801). The Office of the Student Loan Ombudsman recently recorded a webinar addressing loan default and delinquency which can be viewed, here.  

Housing Resiliency in Times of Change

Are you feeling the impact from recent budget cuts? Worried about how to secure your housing needs in these challenging times? Join DC’s Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking on Wednesday, August 13, to learn how to navigate these concerns. Multiple sessions are available on each date.  

Registration is open now and can be accessed, here.  

Veteran Affairs, Resource Symposium

The Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs invites you to join their monthly Veterans Resource Symposium—a space for DC veterans to connect, share experiences, and explore available resources. Sessions highlight key programs and services offered by the Veteran Affairs office to ensure veterans across the District stay informed, supported, and empowered. Event takes place on the last Thursday of every month at the Marion Barry Building (441 4th St NW) from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.  

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

The Utility Discount Programs (UDP) assists low-income District residents with reducing utility costs. To qualify, you must meet income guidelines and utility bills must be in the applicant's name. Eligible residents could receive discounts on electric, gas, and water and sewer bills. Applicants can apply by phone by calling 1-800-234-9473 or by creating an account and applying online, here.  

You can visit us online at christinahendersondc.com. Or stay connected by following Councilmember Christina Henderson on her socials.

Website: christinahendersondc.com

Twitter (X): @CMCHenderson

Instagram: @christinahendersondc

Facebook: @christinahendersondc

Bluesky: @cmchenderson.bsky.social

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