^{Original Photo Double Reflection by Emma K Alexandra}

Dear Neighbor,

One evergreen lesson I’ve taken from the events of the last two weeks is the importance of policymakers clearly communicating our work, our reasoning, and its impact. We make too many assumptions – for example, that people simply understand the DC budget. But the overwhelming response from the DC Budget 101 videos I released last week underscored that you – the public – want more information.  

Now that the US Senate has approved legislation to enable the District to continue spending at the already-approved Fiscal Year 2025 levels, we turn our attention back to the US House of Representatives. It is our hope that they will take up the legislation, without amendments, shortly after they return from recess on Monday. I cannot express just how important it is that DC gets this resolved quickly so that we can turn our attention to the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which is already going to be tough given the recent revenue forecasts that have been greatly impacted by the shifts in the federal workforce these last few weeks. That process will begin on April 2 and the hearing schedule has just been approved.

I do appreciate when public witnesses come to participate in the hearing process. I always learn something new or gain a new perspective. Earlier this week, the Committee held a hearing on a bill I introduced to improve farmers market access. During that hearing, I heard public witness testimony that I haven’t been able to shake.

Prior to becoming the executive director of Arcadia Food, Pamela Hess was a national security journalist covering defense and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among its programs, Arcadia runs a Mobile Market in DC (think a rolling farm stand) which makes regular weekly stops bringing high-quality local grown foods to certain neighborhoods. Ms. Hess shared at the hearing that when she first went out with the Arcadia Mobile Market she immediately noticed the high number of individuals in these neighborhoods with amputations. Given her background covering war zones as a journalist, she figured these people must be military veterans and mentioned something to her staff. They shared that while some of these neighbors may indeed be veterans, many of the amputations in our community were due to diabetes and not war. In fact, a study looking at ten years of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts found that there were about 1,220 amputees due to them. In comparison, approximately 160,000 Americans with diabetes undergo amputation each year. And in most cases, these amputations are entirely preventable with access to better care and diet.

Hunger is not a supply problem in the United States, but rather through a series of policy choices, has become a distribution problem. As we read in the news each day about programs being slashed at federal agencies like the US Department of Agriculture, we should all consider the trade-offs. As one witness said during that hearing, “you either pay the farmer now or you pay the doctor later.” With that in mind, can we then call these cuts true “savings”? As I look ahead to our local budget conversation in a few weeks, this is something that will be top of mind for me.

In service,

Christina Henderson
Councilmember, At-Large
ChristinaHendersonDC.com

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Pictured above: Councilmember Henderson joins Mayor Bowser and her Council colleagues for a press conference on the impacts the Continuing Resolution’s billion-dollar budget cut would have on the District’s services and public safety. The District’s FY25 budget is balanced and was approved last year by Congress before this Continuing Resolution was announced.  

On Tuesday, March 18, the Committee of the Whole held a public roundtable on Student Voices on Education in the District. The roundtable included about 100 student witnesses from various schools across the District who shared their views on public education based on their experiences. Students shared testimony on a range of topics from the lack of information on requirements for college admittance and food access, to the lack of access to quality menstrual supplies while on campus and clean drinking water from school fountains. Councilmember Henderson asked students questions during the hearing and enjoyed seeing them embody the tagline “democracy is a verb.”

On March 7, Councilmember Henderson joined the Committee on Human Services’ performance oversight hearing on the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Interagency Council on Homelessness.  

• To begin her questioning Councilmember Henderson asked DHS about staffing, vacancies, and their overtime spending in FY2025. She learned that the Economic Security Administration (ESA), which processes public benefits applications, has 40 vacancies, which they planned to post openings for soon. DHS also planned to train 3 ESA cohorts a year and shared that training to process all types of benefits takes new hires 6 months to complete.  

• In this hearing, Councilmember Henderson followed up on the Alternatives to Court Experience (ACE) diversion program’s outcomes. During her questioning, she emphasized that because the program is agreed to by young people and their families in lieu of prosecution, the 30-day timeline for young people and families to respond to DHS outreach is far too long. DHS was not prepared to answer questions about ACE during the hearing and stated they would send written responses to Councilmember Henderson’s question after the hearing.  

• Conversation moved to DHS’ new truancy response pilot, Strengthening Teens Enriching Parents (PASS) Program, that is currently in 5 high schools—3 DCPS and 2 public charter schools—with truancy rates of 50% or greater. The program is almost fully staffed and initial outcomes from the first quarter of FY2025 show positive trends among the small number of students eligible.

• Then Councilmember Henderson followed up on a conversation with the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) about transferring the Interagency Council on Homelessness staff to DHS, with DHS sharing that they supported the transfer.  

The same day, Councilmember Henderson joined the Committee of the Whole’s performance oversight hearing on the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).  

• Councilmember Henderson began her questioning by asking about the low rates of timely completion of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) assessments of students in Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8, and learned that the cause is a combination of factors, such as: receiving parental consent in writing; difficulties in finding individuals to complete evaluations; and timing gaps between receiving parental permission and completing evaluations.  

• She then asked about some of OSSE’s Division of Student Transportation (DOT) programs, specifically about the route selection criteria for the new school bus stop arm camera program. OSSE shared that they collaborate with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to identify the highest traffic routes. When Councilmember Henderson asked about the timeline for rolling out GPS trackers on OSSE DOT buses, OSSE reported that the rollout process would take place over the 2025-2026 school year. Once rolled out, parents would be able to use an app to track their child’s bus.  

• Conversation then moved to OSSE’s challenges with bus driver vacancies, and Councilmember Henderson learned that there are about 50 bus driver vacancies, and that the hiring and retention bonuses offered in prior years did lead to noticeably better retention or fewer call-outs. In response, OSSE is prioritizing a better management-to-staff ratio to supervise drivers and attendants. OSSE stated that 96% of buses timely departed from the OSSE DOT terminal in School Year 2023-2024, 93% have departed on time in School Year 2024-2025 to date, and 89% of buses arrive to their destination on time.  

• Additionally, Councilmember Henderson asked about the Advanced Technical Center (ATC). She learned that the School Year 2024-2025 cohort has 277 students representing 12 local education agencies, with 107 students in their second year, and 170 students in the newest cohort, with the Ward 8 ATC location being on track to welcome its first cohort next year.  

• To conclude her questions, Councilmember Henderson asked about the next steps for revising graduation requirements; she learned that OSSE proposed changes to the requirements and is working with stakeholders to get feedback and input — which will continue through spring. OSSE will also develop another draft in late summer and continue to work with the State Board to incorporate suggestions. They also plan to finalize recommendations and begin moving them through the state board process for adoption next year.
  
  

On Tuesday, March 11, the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety held a performance oversight hearing on the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the Office of Police Complaints (OPC).  

• Councilmember Henderson's inquiry of MPD started with questions regarding traffic enforcement changes. MPD shared that they assigned 4 additional officers to the traffic safety branch; 2.9K traffic tickets were issued; 119 arrests were made; 30 car seats were installed; and 10 guns were recovered at traffic compliance checkpoints.  

• She then moved to questions concerning the connection between a quadrupling of fraudulent tag arrests in calendar year 2024 and Operation Ride Right. MPD has encouraged moped operators to comply with District laws and regulations, with the majority of their arrests being due to mopeds operating without proper tags and registration. MPD shared that they have impounded 757 scooters, made 122 arrests, issued 764 tickets, and they reported that officers have seen changes in moped operators’ driving behavior and an uptick in registrations.  

• On the topic of Drug Free Zones (DFZs), MPD stated that available data does not show that DFZs have pushed crime out of the boundaries of the zones. Initial data from the Chinatown DFZs shows a decrease in robberies and burglaries for the 6 months preceding and the 6 months following the launch of the first DFZ. MPD has not had challenges in implementing DFZs and in fact has heard communities request additional DFZs.  

• Next, Councilmember Henderson questioned MPD on staffing and learned that the majority of new hires are not cadets, that hiring incentives are attracting qualified candidates, and that MPD is differentiating itself from other police departments that offer similar recruitment benefits by exploring an option to lower the amount of college credits required of recruits, but allowing them to work up to the required 60 credits throughout their training before graduation. Colleges they found have been willing to assist in this effort.  

• MPD shared that there have been fewer young people involved in criminal activity, but they are still concerned by current trends. MPD and federal partners are also working to learn where young people acquire firearms, and with the aid of local partners, they are connecting young people and their families with the appropriate wrap-around social services. Discussion also included challenges with MPD encountering the same young people committing the same crimes repeatedly, and the criminal justice system failing to prevent recidivism.  

On Monday, March 17, the Committee on Health held a hearing to confirm nominations to the Food Policy Council. Councilmember Henderson led the meeting as chair of the Health Committee and received highlights of past work experience from nominees Rachel Clark and Natalia Kalloo.

The hearing also covered the Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025, testimony from public witnesses included the need for a single farmers market permit to streamline the permitting process, decreased permitting fees due to the multiple required for farmers markets to operate, prompts to provide financial support to farmers market operators, and more investments in local food access.  

^{Pictured above: Councilmember Henderson with staff from DC Health's Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Bureau—they would lead on implementation of the Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025.}

WeLead Graduation

On Friday, March 7, Councilmember Henderson served as the keynote speaker at American University's WeLead2025 Graduation. American University's WeLead program in the School of Public Affairs positions young professional women to serve in political leadership positions.

The State of Healthcare Access in the District

On Monday, March 10, Councilmember Henderson sat for a student documentary and shared details on the state of healthcare access in the District.

Advocacy Day with DC Action's Youth Advisory Team

On Thursday, March 13, the Committee on Health's Senior Policy Advisory, Marcia Huff, and Legislative Assistant, Taylor Coleman, met with DC Action's Youth Advisory Team for their Advocacy Day. Issues discussed related to behavioral health, youth homelessness, OST programs, career readiness, and expectant and parenting youth.

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Fighting Against the Continuing Resolution

The next day, on Friday, March 14, Councilmember Henderson joined the collective effort at the Hart Senate Office Building to talk to members of the Senate and share the devastating impacts of the Continuing Resolution on the District and its residents.

The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi

After joining the efforts to save the District's budget, Councilmember Henderson joined WAMU's The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi, Tom Sherwood, and Alex Koma. During her segment she highlighted DC's need to have authority over its own finances and the true impact of a one billion dollar cut to DC's budget.

Fuddruckers Returns to the District

To finish the day, that night Councilmember Henderson attended the return of Fuddruckers back to the District at their new Chinatown location. She is pictured above with Fuddruckers CEO, Nicholas Perkins.

Press Conference on the Continuing Resolution Negotiations

At the beginning of this week (March 17), Councilmember Henderson joined her Council colleagues, Mayor Bowser, the Chief Financial Officer, the City Administrator, and the District's Budget Director at a press conference on the Continuing Resolution Negotiations. Mayor Bowser highlighted that the District would stay focused throughout these negotiations, meet its financial obligations, and maintain its city services despite the presented challenges.

Attending ANC 8B’s Regular Meeting

The next day, March 18, Councilmember Henderson joined the ANC 8B regular meeting and spoke with Ward 8 residents about her recent legislative work, including chairing the Committee on Health during 9 performance oversight hearings, the approval of the Certificate of Need Improvement Act of 2025, and the introduction of the Board of Trustees Training Amendment Act and the Entertainment Employee Safety Amendment Act of 2025. The Councilmember also discussed the current negotiations regarding the Continuing Resolution and shared information on how residents can stay informed.  

Office Hours at Bellevue Library

On Wednesday, March 19, Councilmember Henderson held the first day of her March Madness office hours at Bellevue Library in Ward 8. Conversation included topics such as gratitude for the Pay Equity Fund and PKEEP, the current Continuing Resolution negotiations, and education issues.  

Office Hours at Cafe Georgetown

On Thursday, March 20, Councilmember Henderson continued her office hours at Cafe Georgetown in Ward 2. Topics ranged from the presence of street eateries in Georgetown, aiding the District’s aging population in fighting against the emerging hoarding disorder crisis, maintaining PKEEP, and Georgetown University’s student interests.  

Councilmember Henderson’s final installment of her March Madness office hours will take place March 27 from 9:30am to 11:00am at Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe in Ward 6.  

1. DC mayor treads carefully as Trump and Hill GOP threaten capital city's budget, autonomy, Gabe Cohen for CNN, 03/11/2025
2. DC fears revenue cliff as Congress debates its financial future, Gary Fields and Ashraf Khalil for the Associated Press, 03/13/2025
3. DC Council member offers crash course on $1B DC budget cut narrowly averted by Congress, Ciara Wells and Kate Ryan for WTOP News, 03/14/2025
4. The Politics Hour: Why a federal spending bill could blow a billion dollar hole in D.C.'s budget, Produced by Matt Blitz for WAMU, 03/14/2025
5. Mayor, Councilmembers, EHN Comment on "Senate Passage of Bill to Allow D.C. to Spend Its Fiscal Year 2025 Local Funds", House comes back after March 24, Prince of Petworth for Popville, 03/15/2025
6. "A major first step'" Local leaders react to Senate's unanimous approval of DC budget bill, Ciara Wells for WTOP News, 03/15/2025
7. DC's $1.1 billion budget battle in the hands of the House, Rafael Sanchez-Cruz for WUSA9, 03/17/2025
8. Fuddruckers Officially Returns to Chinatown this Thursday, Prince of Petworth for Popville, 08/18/2025

2025 Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Forecasts

Peak Bloom Predictions:

• National Park Service: March 28 – March 31
• Washington Post: March 23 – March 27
• NBC4: March 28 – April 3

Bloom Stage:

1. Green Buds: March 11
2. Florets Visible: March 16 (Current)
3. Florets Extended
4. Peduncle Extended
5. Puffy White
6. Peak Bloom
7. Petals Falling
8. Green Leaves
9. Fall/Autumn
10. Winter/Dormant

You can find more information on when the DC Cherry Blossom’s will bloom, here.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Events

SAAM Cherry Blossom Celebration

Location: 8th and G Streets, NW Washington, DC 20004 Time: Saturday, March 22  11:30am to 3:00pm  

Details: Celebrate the cherry blossoms with Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM)! Begin the day on the museum’s 8th and F Street Plaza (weather permitting) with a taiko drumming performance by Nen Daiko. The program continues inside in the Kogod Courtyard for Japanese pop, boogie, and more with Les The DJ. Enjoy other performances while children (ages 12 and younger) make cherry-blossom themed crafts. Seasonal treats are available for purchase from the Courtyard Café. A spring-themed scavenger hunt through SAAM’s galleries extends the fun.

You can register for the event here.

Blossom Kite Festival

Location: Washington Monument Grounds Time: Saturday, March 29; Rain Date: March 30 from 10:00am to 4:00pm

Details: Join us at the Washington Monument Grounds with soaring activities, music, competitions, and performances. Kite enthusiasts, beginners, families, and friends are all welcome. Get ready to enjoy kite demonstrations and competitions, arts & crafts, and so much more. We can’t wait to share what we have in store for 2025!

You can view the complete 2025 Blossom Kite Festival Schedule here.  

Sakura Taiko Fest at Sylvan Theater

Location: Sylvan Theater Independence Avenue & 15th Street SW Washington, DC 20024 Time: Saturday, March 29 from 12:00pm to 5:00pm

The Sakura Taiko Fest has grown from a small concert first held in a dance studio to a full day of free, family-friendly taiko performances in downtown DC. Each year, we welcome a number of North American taiko groups and feature a variety of different taiko styles as a celebration of Japanese-American cultural and artistic traditions.

You can find more details on the Saukra Taiko Fest here.  

DMV Farmers and Flea Market

Join the RFK Farmers and Flea Market on Saturdays (weather permitting) for produce, food, clothes, shoes, accessories, books, toys, household items, antiques, health and beauty items, CDs , electronics, and more. The event is located on the Festival Grounds (Lot 6) at RFK Campus from 7:00am to 3:00pm. For inquiries please contact Tracy Fleming at 443-670-6225.

Visit the New Go-Go Museum & Cafe

The Go-Go Museum & Café is the official site for the appreciation and study of go-go music, history and culture from its headquarters in the historic Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Go-go music is a brand of funk, R&B, hip-hop, and Afro-Latin rhythms created in the 1970s by "Godfather of Go-Go" Chuck Brown and his Washington D.C. fans. The museum officially launched on February 19. You can visit the museum's official site here for more information to plan your visit.  

The DC History Conference

The DC History Conference is an interdisciplinary, community conference considering the District’s past, present, and future. Since 1973, the conference organizers have provided a welcoming, educational, and stimulating forum for original research on and engagement with the history of the Washington, DC metropolitan area—prioritizing the local city but including nearby Maryland and Virginia, and the federal government. The DC History Conference is a FREE, four-day event that takes place April 3 to April 6 at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St NW).

You can register for the event here; and view the full schedule here.

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.  

Health Insurance for Impacted Federal Workers

Enroll today in quality and affordable health insurance. All DC residents losing employer health coverage qualify for a DC Health Link private insurance plan offered by DC Health Link. Private health insurance plans start as low as $13 a month (depending on household income) and include 27 private health insurance plans to meet every need and budget.  

You can schedule your virtual enrollment here.  

Learn more by calling (855)532-5465 or by visiting DC Health Link here.  

Introducing Brandywine Valley SPCA

Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA) has taken over all animal care and control services for Washington, DC. In its first month of operations, BVSPCA has also launched adoptions for dogs, cats, and other critters, Express Pet Health Services for family pets, as well as volunteer and foster programs to engage the community in our work. BVSPCA is already celebrating reuniting lost pets with their worried families, adoptions of pets needing a new home, and lifesaving medical care for DC animals in need.

You can learn more about Brandywine Valley SPCA and its services, here.  

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

Communal Farm Weekly Veggie Giveaway

DPR Communal Farms are urban Agriculture sites that are organized as communal production farms, managed by DPR staff and community volunteers, with the purpose of providing various ways for community members to receive free food, volunteer, and participate in hands on educational opportunities. From May to November DPR Communal Farms host three Communal Farm Weekly Veggie Giveaways where community members can pick up free veggies, volunteers on the farm, and/or participant in free programming.

Participants must register to attend any giveaway. Participants can register, here.  

• Tuesdays 11:00am –12:00pm Edgewood Rooftop Farm, 300 Evarts St NE (Ward 5)
• Wednesdays 11:00am –12:00pm Lederer Gardens,4801 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE (Ward 7)
• Thursdays 11:00am –12:00pm Powell Communal Farm, 3149 16th St NW (Ward 1)
• Monthly Food Bank Giveaways – All Year Second Wednesday of each month 11:00am –12:00pm Lederer Gardens, 4801 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE (Ward 7)

For questions or to receive updates on what is being harvested, volunteer opportunities, pop up giveaways, weekly programs and weather cancellations please email joshua.singer@dc.gov

Residential Street Sweeping

The District’s street sweeping program is a key part of maintaining a clean, healthy environment in our community. Services have restarted and ticketing will begin on March 17, violations will result in $45 fine and a $100 relocation fee.  

Join us at a community event to learn about the District’s next comprehensive plan and share your ideas for the future of DC! Come and see the vision for 2050 DC!

Upcoming Meetings:

March 22, 2025 from 11am –1pm MLK Library (901 G St NW)

March 25, 2025 from 6pm – 8pm Barry Farm Rec Center (1230 Summer Rd SE)

March 27, 2025 from 6pm – 8pm Virtual via Zoom

You can RSVP and learn more here.  

Free Professional Headshots at Southwest Neighborhood Library

Need a new professional photo of yourself for job hunting or professional media profiles? Get a free headshot at the library! Grab an appointment with local photographer Krista Boccio, Rebel with a View, to get your professional headshot. Headshots will be taken in the Large Meeting Room of the Southwest Neighborhood Library on Saturday, March 22, at 1:00pm – 3:00pm.  

Please note: Sessions are limited and will last approximately 10 minutes each. Sessions are offered on a first come, first served basis. Participants should arrive photo-ready with any hair, makeup, and clothing you wish to be photographed in. Photography will take place indoors.

Participants must have a valid email address.

Free Virtual Tax Webinars

The DC Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) is hosting a series of free, virtual webinars to ensure District residents have the information they need to file their taxes accurately and on time. The sessions will cover common tax filing mistakes, available tax credits, payment options, and more. Registration is required to attend the webinars.

Webinar Schedule and Topics:

Tuesday, March 25 | 12:00 pm (Afternoon Session) & & 6:00 pm (Evening Session)

• Common Tax Filing Issues in the District

• Choosing a Tax Preparer

Thursday, March 27 | 12:00 pm (Afternoon Session) & 6:00 pm (Evening Session)

• DC Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) & Schedule H

• How to Make a Real Property Payment in MyTax

To sign up, visit https://otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/2025-tax-filing-season-webinars

Join the Access for All Advisory Council

Join the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Boards’ (TPB) Access for All Advisory Committee and help integrate the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities and underserved communities into the regional transportation planning process. You can apply here. Deadline to apply is April 14, 2025. Contact Laura Bachle at 202-962-3273, lbachle@mwcog.org with any questions.

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.  

As I continue to vigilantly track the activities at the federal level, I am keenly aware of how some of our own residents are being personally affected. Amid the recent firings of thousands of our nation’s federal government employees, I’m sharing some resources for those impacted who call the District home. You can find these resources as well as those shared by the Executive on my website, here.  

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