Pot fight between DC Mayor, Congress could cost the city

WASHINGTON -- The new mayor of the nation's capital was hoping to get along fine with Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Instead, they've threatened her with prison, and she has accused them of acting like bullies in a showdown over legal pot that could end up costing District of Columbia residents dearly.

Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser defied threats from Congress by implementing a voter-approved initiative Thursday, making the city the only place east of the Mississippi River where people legally can grow and share marijuana in private. But Congress still has the final say over the city's budget and laws, and the Republicans in charge seem determined to make Bowser pay.

"We provide half a billion dollars (annually) to the District. One would think they would be much more compliant with the wishes of Congress," Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican and one of the most vocal marijuana opponents, said Thursday.

The District received more than $670 million in federal funding last year to support its $11 billion budget. The federal money is earmarked for specific programs -- including the city's court system.

Even top advocates of city autonomy are preparing for tough times on Capitol Hill.

"I do believe it's likely this is a short-lived victory," said Kimberly Perry, executive director of D.C. Vote. "Members of the House are going to come after D.C. with a vengeance on appropriations for 2016."

Before Bowser announced she wasn't backing down, she spoke with the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, and reiterated her goal is not to defy Congress, but to honor the will of the voters, said her spokesman, Michael Czin.

"A lot of reasonable people have a different view of this issue," Bowser said Wednesday. "We believe that we're acting lawfully."

Chaffetz said Congress doesn't want the District to become "a haven for smoking pot."

But Bowser has emphasized the change to the marijuana law is limited in scope. While possession of up to 2 ounces of pot or up to three mature plants for use in the home is legal, buying or selling pot remains illegal, along with smoking in public and possessing marijuana on federal property. The main difference is city police no longer will be handing out $25 civil fines for possession.