Reading Room Document

Maintaining Essential Services in the District of Columbia in the Event Appropriations Cease

When the District of Columbia is otherwise prohibited by law from spending its appropriation, the District's Mayor is authorized under the Antideficiency Act to expend moneys necessary to maintain government services bearing a reasonable relationship to the safety of human life or the protection of property. Under provisions of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, the President has authonty to employ the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Force for purposes he deems necessary and appropriate where he has declared the existence of emergency conditions. The President has inherent constitutional authority to use troops or police to preserve such order in the District of Columbia as may be necessary to protect federal property and functions. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/24006/download.

December 15, 1988