A Washington federal trial said Wednesday there were “compelling arguments” in favor of budget autonomy for the District of Columbia. But he hinted he may be bound to find that only Congress—and not the D.C. Council—can make autonomy a reality.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan didn’t rule after arguments over a contested D.C. charter amendment that gives the city more control over locally raised funds. Sullivan compared the budget fight to a case he decided years ago in which federal law forced him to find that victims of torture couldn’t sue for damages.
