Republicans keep hitting Democrats from all angles over DC soft-on-crime bill
Cami Mondeaux
All eyes on Capitol Hill are focusing in on Washington, D.C., and its handling of crime this week as both House and Senate Republicans seek to weaponize it against their vulnerable Democratic counterparts.
On the House side, the Oversight Committee held its second hearing on the district’s rising crime rates and city management on Tuesday, featuring testimony from Mayor Muriel Bowser and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves. Chairman James Comer (R-KY) highlighted the city’s rising crime rates, pointing to several local laws that he said have led to the surge in violence.
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“This year alone, we have already seen over 1,500 violent crimes committed, with total crime up 27% from last year. D.C. clearly has a crime crisis,” Comer said. “The residents of D.C. and Americans who come to visit their nation’s capital deserve to be safe … The D.C. Council’s continued attempts to push soft-on-crime legislation and policies are emboldening criminals.”
The panel sought to question Graves alongside the mayor after its first hearing in March focused on the attorney’s alleged failure to prosecute criminals that allows them to return to the streets, according to Comer.
In his position, Graves is the only U.S. attorney who serves as both the local and federal prosecutor for the city, making his testimony “necessary to conduct meaningful oversight” of the district, the chairman said. Graves agreed late last week to appear before the panel voluntarily, avoiding a subpoena threat issued by Comer the week before.
The National Republican Congressional Committee used that hearing to revive attacks against vulnerable Democratic lawmakers, targeting those who voted against overturning the district’s updated criminal code earlier this year. That bill ultimately passed both the House and Senate before being signed by President Joe Biden, marking the first time in 30 years Congress voted to overturn a local law passed by the D.C. Council.
“National Police Week is the perfect reminder that 15 swing-seat House Democrats chose thugs over families’ safety and law enforcement,” NRCC national press secretary Will Reinert said in a statement.
That list includes Democrats facing tight reelection chances, including Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Mary Peltola (D-AK), and Seth Magaziner (D-RI).
Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate voted on Tuesday to advance a bill that would overturn a slew of local police reforms in D.C., escalating tensions between Congress and city lawmakers over the district’s limited legislative autonomy.
The House passed the disapproval resolution in late April, sending the legislation to the Senate for a vote where it was largely stalled due to a lack of support among the Democratic majority. However, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) pushed to advance the measure on Tuesday, putting Democrats in a bind as they were once again faced with the choice to defend the district’s independence or to crack down on high crime rates.
“Congress must exert our constitutional authority to keep our nation’s capital safe,” Vance said on Tuesday. “It’s a disgrace that the capital of the most powerful nation on Earth has become so dangerous, but this sad reality is exactly what we should expect when far-left activists are calling the shots. For the good of every American who lives in or visits this town, I urge my colleagues to support my disapproval motion.”
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Republicans’ efforts have prompted a widespread response from city lawmakers and local activists, who organized efforts at the Capitol on Tuesday to protest congressional oversight.
“Almost 700,000 people live in the nation’s capital, and they are worthy and capable of governing their own local affairs,” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said during a press conference alongside members of the Hands Off D.C. Coalition. “House Republicans disagree, believing instead that D.C. residents, a majority of whom are black and brown, are incapable and unworthy of the same respect afforded to residents of their own districts. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how offensive that notion is to my values, goals, and more than 30 years of work advocating for D.C. residents in Congress.”