District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer Salary Home Rule Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1204) to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to permit the District of Columbia to establish the rate of pay of the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure before us.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will give the District of Columbia the authority to increase the pay of the D.C. chief financial officer. D.C. requested that I introduce this bill so that it can retain and recruit the best CFOs. At the outset, I want to emphasize that the CFO is paid exclusively with local D.C. funds, not Federal funds.

Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress established a maximum rate of pay for the CFO, and the D.C. council has no authority to increase that rate. Congress does not cap, or otherwise establish, the pay of any other D.C. employee. Under this bill, the CFO would be paid at the greater of a rate equal to the maximum rate of pay of the CFO in current law or at a rate established in law by the District of Columbia.

The CFO was established by Congress in 1995. Congress vested the CFO with extraordinary powers and designed the CFO to be independent of the D.C. Mayor and council. The CFO may be removed only for cause by the Mayor, subject to the approval of two-thirds of the council and a 30- day congressional review and comment period. This bill would maintain the independence of the CFO by establishing a permanent floor on the CFO's pay and by prohibiting the council from reducing the CFO's pay during the CFO's term.

The D.C. CFO is unique in the United States. D.C. cannot obligate or expend funds without the CFO's certification that available funds exist. The CFO manages a $17 billion budget that consists of State, county, and city functions, and the CFO has more than 1,700 employees.

D.C. is currently searching for a permanent CFO. Although the CFO is the most important non-elected official in the district, more than 20 D.C. employees are paid more than the CFO. D.C. must compete with both the private and public sectors for high-quality CFOs, and there are many private- and public-sector CFOs who are paid more than the D.C.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1204, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the chief financial officer plays an essential role in managing the District of Columbia's financial challenges and should be properly compensated for such efforts.

I understand some of my colleagues may be concerned about the financial health of the District of Columbia, and I share many of those concerns. But that is why we need to ensure the best people are selected to fill the CFO position.

One way to attract the best candidates in a job search is by paying professionals a competitive salary. The CFO is responsible for the District's financial operations, including more than 1,700 staff members in the district's multi-billion-dollar budget.

If the District believes that it needs to adjust the rate of pay for this position to recruit a more qualified senior financial management official, then Congress should support such efforts.

I believe compensation for local executives is a matter best handled at the local level, and I believe this bill balances local autonomy with a commonsense solution for attracting talent to the District.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, because I believe this is sensible legislation and good for the financial health of the District of Columbia, I will vote in support of this sensible bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.