Power of the pen: Three resolutions that could force Biden to use his veto power
Jack Birle
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President Joe Biden has not used his veto authority in his more than two years as president, but that may change in the coming weeks.
Three resolutions that passed in the GOP-led House and appear to have a chance to pass in the Senate have each been opposed by the Biden administration. Here are the moves that could force Biden to whip out his red pen soon.
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Blocking Washington’s crime code revision
The city council of Washington, D.C., voted overwhelmingly to overhaul the city’s criminal code by reducing penalties for several crimes, including carjacking and murder, among other adjustments. The new law led to concern over the effects of the bill, with Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoing the bill due to the reduced penalties sending “the wrong message” and arguing it would overwhelm the court system. The city council then overrode Bowser’s veto.
A House resolution passed earlier this month in a 250-173 vote, with 31 Democrats joining on, would block the new crime code from taking effect in a few years. All Washington laws are subject to congressional approval due to its status as a federal district. The resolution would only take a simple majority to pass in the Senate and could get a boost after Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was assaulted in her apartment building in Washington.
Blocking Washington’s noncitizen voting bill
The House also passed a resolution that would block a 2022 Washington bill permitting noncitizens to vote in local elections beginning in 2024. The resolution passed in the lower chamber by a 260-161 vote, with 42 Democrats joining on to block the Washington law. In nearly all jurisdictions in the United States, voters must be citizens to vote in elections, and the resolution may get the simple majority necessary to pass.
Ending the national COVID-19 emergency before May
Earlier this month, a resolution immediately ending the federal COVID-19 emergency passed in the House by a 229-197 margin, with 11 Democrats supporting the plan. The resolution to end the emergency, which has been in place since 2020, passed in the House months after a similar resolution passed in the Senate during the last Congress by a 62-36 margin. Because the Senate resolution passed in the previous Congress, it will need to be passed in a new vote.
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The Biden administration has made clear it opposes the three resolutions, with the Office of Management and Budget denouncing the Washington resolutions as a continuation of the district being “denied true self-governance” and the White House previously pushing for the COVID-19 emergency to end on May 11.