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House Republicans pass 2 bills to crack down on crime in DC
House Republicans on Tuesday unleashed a series of bills that they say will crack down on violent crime in D.C. The GOP passed the first two bills targeting the District. One of those bills targets juvenile sentencing guidelines, while the other lowers the age that minors can be tried as adults.
WASHINGTON - House Republicans on Tuesday unleashed a series of bills that they say will crack down on violent crime in D.C.
The GOP passed the first two bills targeting the District. One of those bills targets juvenile sentencing guidelines, while the other lowers the age that minors can be tried as adults.
The legislation targets juvenile crime, sentencing guidelines, judges and policing but Democrats say it violates D.C.’s Home Rule.
The bills:
The "D.C. Crimes Act" prohibits the D.C. Council from passing lenient sentences for violent crimes.
The "Juvenile Reform Act" allows 14-year-old children to be charged as adults for violent crime.
The "Judicial Nominations Act" hands the president the power to nominate judges handling D.C. crime.
The "Policing Protection Act" rolls back the council’s restrictions on police pursuit policies.
Big picture view:
The four bills voted on are part of a much larger 14-bill package that House Republicans say will build on President Donald Trump’s recent crime emergency in the District.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says they’ll do away with local D.C. laws that make it harder for police to catch violent criminals and keep them behind bars.
"House Republicans are going to build on President Trump’s wildly successful crackdown on crime her in the Capitol with four D.C.-specific bills," Johnson said.
"We’re prohibiting the DC Council from pursuing its progressive soft-on-crime, sentencing guidelines," said Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy, who serves on the House Oversight Committee.
"The nation’s capitol is now safe for residents and visitors alike," said Rep. Tom Emmer the House Republican whip.
The other side:
Critics argue the policy would backfire, leading to a higher number of repeat offenders and worse long-term outcomes for juveniles, doing little to improve public safety.
"It’s a power that will eventually be abused and with this administration, eventually, will be very soon," said Texas Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett.
Democrats say the legislation is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration and Republicans to exert control over the politically democratic Washington, D.C.
"As Donald Trump’s fake emergencies and tariffs continue unchecked. So let me propose a solution: do your job," New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks added.
They also argue it would partially dismantle D.C.'s Home Rule.
"There is never justification for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters," D.C. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton said.
Dig deeper:
Meanwhile, a draft version of the spending bill to keep the federal government funded and avoid a shutdown appears to have restored D.C.’s ability to to spend its own local tax dollars on its own local budget.
The last spending bill removed that power and caused a billion-dollar hole in the District’s budget.
Sources within the D.C. government tell FOX 5 that they’ve not yet been briefed on the bill.