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As Disapproval Resolution Advances, Four Black Women Mull Return of ‘Recess at the Capitol’

February 9, 2026

Four Black women educators and advocates in Washington D.C. organized a grassroots movement called "Recess at the Capitol" in response to congressional efforts to interfere with the District's local budget and tax legislation. The movement brought over 700 students, parents, and teachers to Capitol Hill to protest a continuing resolution that would have eliminated more than $1 billion from D.C.'s budget and later organized against a disapproval resolution targeting the city's child tax credit and earned income tax credit programs. The Senate is now poised to vote on this disapproval resolution, which the House already passed along party lines, threatening to disrupt the current tax season and cost the District approximately $670 million in revenue over four years.

Who is affected

  • Christina Hanson, Dr. LaJoy Johnson-Law, Allyson Criner Brown, and Jhonna Turner (the four organizers)
  • More than 700 District students and parents who participated in "Recess at the Capitol"
  • D.C. families eligible for the child tax credit
  • Ward 8 schools and families
  • D.C. taxpayers who would face deadline changes and payment disruptions
  • Five schools that received support from CARE Anacostia's Power Our Schools Program
  • District residents broadly (over 700,000 people)
  • D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson
  • Various community organizations including Free DC, DC Action, Washington Teachers' Union, EmpowerEd, D.C. Charter Alliance, and CARE Anacostia

What action is being taken

  • The Senate is preparing to vote on a disapproval resolution
  • Johnson-Law is conducting visits to schools and early childcare learning centers in Ward 8 (has completed more than 40 visits)
  • Johnson-Law is advocating for resources at community events and forums (nearly two dozen)
  • CARE Anacostia is organizing for community members affected by congressional actions
  • CARE Anacostia is operating its Power Our Schools Program
  • District residents are engaging congressional Republicans in a local budget battle
  • Young people are attending Free DC meetings and participating in advocacy

Why it matters

  • This situation matters because it represents a fundamental challenge to D.C.'s limited autonomy and home rule, with Congress interfering in locally-passed legislation that affects residents' daily lives. The disapproval resolution threatens essential services and financial support for District families, potentially costing $670 million over four years and eliminating the child tax credit that would help vulnerable families. The interference disrupts an already-active tax season, creating chaos for taxpayers and potential cash flow problems for the city. Beyond the immediate financial implications, this represents a pattern of federal lawmakers making decisions that negatively impact D.C.'s most vulnerable populations, particularly children, without adequate representation. The movement demonstrates how grassroots organizing, particularly by Black women, can mobilize communities and educate young people about civic engagement in the fight for local self-governance.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article regarding the Senate vote timeline or specific future actions. The article indicates the organizers "will more than likely" host another "Recess at the Capitol" event if needed, but this is conditional rather than a confirmed next step.

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer