President Donald Trump and his supporters in the House of Representatives are working together on a series of legislative measures aimed at dealing with the city of Washington, D.C.’s governance and crime problems. This initiative has been confirmed by the president himself, who recently stated that congressional leaders were working with him on a large crime bill.
An important part of this situation is the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973. This law set up a local government for the city, but it also allows the president to take control of the D.C. police force. According to Fox News, this power is not without limits. Under the act, the president can federalize the police for a period of 48 hours. This time can be extended to 30 days, but only if the relevant congressional committees are notified.
For any period longer than 30 days, a resolution must be passed by both the House and the Senate to approve the extended control. During the annual August recess for lawmakers, several resolutions have been introduced to change these rules. One such effort comes from a Republican representative from Tennessee, who publicly stated that he is writing a bill to change the D.C. Home Rule Act.
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This proposed law would allow the president to extend the state of emergency for as long as it is considered necessary to make the capital’s streets safe. A leadership aide has said that House Republicans are watching the different measures being considered to expand the president’s control over the city’s police force.
The Tennessee representative’s proposal, while aiming to remove the 30 day limit, would require the White House to send Congress a notification every 30 days explaining the reason for continuing the federalization of the police. This measure is meant to uphold constitutional principles while allowing for a longer federal presence.
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Other members of Congress have also introduced similar bills. A Republican representative from Florida has a proposal that, like the one from the Tennessee lawmaker, would allow the president to keep control over the D.C. police for an unlimited amount of time. This representative believes that the proposed bill has a lot of support and is well within Congress’s power.
Rep. Andy Ogles said, “to amend the D.C. Home Rule Act, so the president can extend this emergency as long as it takes, until our Capitol is taken back, and its streets are safe… I sent it to [House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.] after we drafted it. He liked the proposal, so when we get back, we’ll sort through the various ideas and approaches and see which one is best. Obviously, I’ll advocate for mine, but… whatever keeps the people safe.”
The intervention, according to the representative, is being done for the good of both Congress and the residents of Washington, D.C. Another Republican representative, this one from Arizona, has introduced a bill that would extend the president’s authority over the D.C. police for a period of six months.
Because Washington, D.C. is a federal district and not a state, Congress and the federal government have a great deal of influence over how it is run. The current administration and its supporters have pointed to a significant reduction in homicides within the capital since the president took control of the policing. There have also been suggestions that other American cities may soon see similar federal action to fight crime.
On the other hand, opponents of these actions, mostly from the Democratic Party, have argued that the administration is taking away the capital’s residents’ right to govern themselves. A White House official said, “Efforts to address some of the underlying causes of the D.C. crime problem will be a topic of sustained focus for the administration, as well as other issues, such as maintenance, transportation and beautification. That includes working with all levels of government, executive branch, legislative branch, and Washington, D.C., to ensure that the capital city of the greatest nation on earth is the envy of the world,”
