DC crime crackdown: Congress targets bail, police reforms

DC crime crackdown: Congress targets bail, police reforms

Republicans in Congress are making moves to alter the way Washington, D.C., enforces crime and justice, sparking a heated debate. FOX 5 DC's Tom Fitzgerald has the story.

WASHINGTON - Republicans in Congress are making moves to alter the way Washington, D.C., enforces crime and justice, sparking a heated debate.

Efforts to change DC's crime enforcement

What we know:

The House Rules Committee is currently reviewing two bills.

One proposes replacing DC’s no-cash bail system with cash bail, linking a person's release to their ability to pay. This follows President Donald Trump's executive order in August that eliminated cashless bail nationwide.

The second bill aims to reverse local DC police reforms, such as limits on chokeholds and body-cam rules, which were implemented after the George Floyd protests.

What they're saying:

"Thanks to the efforts of President Trump, the streets here are safer for the first time in many years, and we can add to this progress by revoking cashless bail," Rep. Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Rules Committee said in a statement. 

However, not everyone agrees with these changes.

"To micromanage every bit of D.C.’s affairs is offensive," Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat and ranking member of the House Rules Committee said in a statement. "I mean the President of the United States wants to have control over what the next name of the football team is going to be. This is ridiculous."

Local officials push back

D.C.'s local Democratic officials argue that Congress is overreaching.

D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto, chair of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, introduced 23 new bills under the "Prosper D.C. Plan" on Monday; the plan aims to reduce crime by creating economic opportunities in D.C.

Pinto emphasized that Congress should allow DC to govern itself in a statement Monday. 

"It is also especially important to demonstrate to our residents and Congress that we are serious about public safety, we are serious about affordability and we’re serious about economic prosperity and becoming one of the best places to do business," Pinto said. 

In a joint statement to FOX 5, Mayor Bowser, Council Chair Phil Mendelson and the D.C. Attorney Brian Schwalb denounced the House bills, stating, "these bills are an affront to home rule and the principles of democracy and local self-governance on which this country was founded."