In January, the District of Columbia City Council unanimously passed a crime bill that would reduce the penalties for violent crimes such as carjackings and robberies.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed the bill, but the City Council overrode her veto by a 12-1 vote, according to The Hill. Because D.C. is not a state, legislation must be approved by Congress before it can be enacted.
Last month, the House voted 250-173 for a resolution to block the changes to D.C.’s criminal code. Although the majority of Democrats voted against the measure, meaning they wanted the D.C. crime bill to become law, 31 caucus members voted with the GOP.
Speaking with Senate Democrats on Thursday, President Joe Biden revealed he would sign the resolution to overturn the D.C. bill. He had previously signaled plans to veto the measure.
According to The Hill, “the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy opposing the resolution and backing D.C. … The declaration from the Office of Management and Budget called on Congress to ‘respect the District of Columbia’s autonomy to govern its own local affairs.’”
But, following the Thursday meeting, Biden reiterated that “if the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did — I’ll sign it.”
I support D.C. Statehood and home-rule – but I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor’s objections – such as lowering penalties for carjackings.
If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did – I’ll sign it.
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 2, 2023
Predictably, Biden’s change of heart was not well received by House Democrats.
Is crime in America out of control?
Yes: 0% (0 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
In a text message to The Hill, one Democratic lawmaker who wished to remain anonymous wrote, “The White House f***ed this up royally.”
The text went on to say, “So a lot of us who are allies voted no in order to support what the White House wanted. And now we are being hung out to dry. … F***ING AMATEUR HOUR. HEADS SHOULD ROLL OVER AT THE WHITE HOUSE OVER THIS.”
It also said that other Democrats were “EXTREMELY pissed.”
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she was “deeply disappointed” by the president’s about-face, according to CNN.
In a statement to the network, she wrote, “The District of Columbia must be allowed to govern itself. Democrats’ commitment to home rule should apply regardless of the substance of the local legislation. This is why the Congressional Progressive Caucus and its members have endorsed D.C. statehood.”
Politico reported that a vote on the resolution in the upper chamber could come as soon as next week.
With the hospitalizations of Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, who has shingles, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who is being treated for clinical depression, the balance of power in the Senate temporarily stands at 49-49. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has already announced he plans to support the measure.
So, all things remaining the same, it really wouldn’t take much for the resolution to pass. No one wants to be seen as soft on crime, especially those who are facing voters next year.
The biggest shame is that it is even a question.
