Scott Sowers

Despite a downgrade by Moody's Ratings in April, Washington, D.C., went to market early and emerged with an oversubscribed revenue and refunding bond issuance of nearly $1.5 billion.

As cutting the federal budget resonates as a central theme in the Trump administration, the Department of Transportation is getting a boost in appropriation proposals.

Falling financial dominoes started by a continuing resolution passed by Congress is leading to budget delays and the threat of a lawsuit by City Council as Washington prepares for a nearly $1.5 billion bond issuance.

Attracting more private investment to the affordable housing sector is becoming more urgent with the reintroduction of a bill in the Senate that could spur the use of private activity bonds.

The mayor of Washington and the managing partner of the Washington Commanders laid out a plan for bringing a $3.7 billion stadium to the city via a mixed use development financed by a combination of private and public money.

S&P revised the outlook for the Maryland Transportation Authority's outstanding revenue bonds to negative from stable due to the timing of the federal funding needed to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge that was damaged by a cargo freighter in March 2024.

Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are already affecting port operations as Moody's has revised the U.S. ports sector to a negative outlook reflecting an expected 7%-12% decline in volume.

Muni advocates resist some of the arguments for eliminating the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds espoused in a new book by infamous Wall Street whistleblower Michael Lissack.

Moody's Ratings cut the issuer rating for the District of Columbia to Aa1 with a negative outlook, which the city CFO blames on federal workforce reductions and weakness in the commercial real estate market.

As the municipal bond community rallies around protecting the tax-exempt status of munis, alternative viewpoints emerge for why it should be eliminated.

Congress has hit the pause on Washington, D.C.'s budget process as a framework for transforming the RFK Stadium site into a viable $3.2 billion NFL venue emerges including the possibility of tapping $856 million in public funds.

With the threat to tax exempt municipal bonds looming in a Congress searching for pay-fors, private activity bonds supporting hospitals and higher education are high on the list of potential first targets.

Housing advocates concerned about the fate of private activity bonds are working on strategies for getting PABs and tax-exempt munis off the table while Congress searches for ways to pay for tax cut extensions.

Congress leaves town for a two-week recess without settling a financial dispute with the District of Columbia over which budget they are allowed to use as the mayor's financial team announces plans to exercise a 2009 law that will boost a supplemental budget by 6%.

Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee announced a new bill that would restore the power of applying tariffs back to Congress amidst accusations of market manipulation and political ineptitude by the Trump administration.

Some congressional Republicans are concerned taxpayers aren't getting a good return on their investment in transit, as lawmakers gear up for work on a new transportation bill.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act is reintroduced in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support to increase the development of affordable housing by leveraging private activity bonds and loosening restriction on Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

Airport executives pushed lawmakers for streamlined funding, a boost in the passenger facility charge, and preserving tax-exempt bonds.

Washington, D.C.'s ability to spend the money in its approved budget remains in doubt as a congressional recess looms, though President Trump signaled support.

The immediate effect of tariffs is expected to manifest in the country's ports, which was the only sector of infrastructure to earn a "B" grade in the ASCE's Report Card.