The GOP-led House of Representatives will consider two resolutions this week targeting Washington’s overhaul of its criminal code and decision to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.
The federal government has veto power over all Washington laws, prompting House Republicans to put the local government under the microscope. The resolutions will likely die in the Senate due to Democratic opposition but signal the House GOP’s focus on immigration and crime in the new Congress. Lawmakers have a 30-day window to review the Washington legislation.
Washington’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, which removes mandatory minimums for all offenses except first-degree murder and expands jury trials for those charged with misdemeanor offenses, sparked complaints on the Right that it was too soft on crime. But it also drew a veto from Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser. The city council ultimately
overrode
her veto in a 12-1 vote last month.
REPUBLICANS WEIGH BATTLING DC LEADERS OVER CRIME
“The D.C. Council’s radical rewrite of the criminal code threatens the well-being of both Washingtonians and visitors — making our nation’s capital city a safe haven for violent criminals,”
said
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), who introduced the legislation. “In response to this dangerous and severely misguided measure, it’s now up to Congress to save our nation’s capital from itself. Our Constitution grants Congress the responsibility and authority to manage Washington’s affairs, which is why we must swiftly pass a resolution of disapproval to stop this insanity in its tracks.”
Last summer, Clyde floated abolishing the 1973 Home Rule Act that allows the district to operate mostly autonomously from Congress. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) will introduce the Senate version of the bill.
Advocates for lowering the maximum sentencing for violent crimes included in the new criminal code argue it puts the prison terms in line with the average sentences judges hand down. Bowser says the reduction sends the wrong message as crimes such as armed robbery and carjacking spike.
“If the penalty is high and the usual sentences are somewhat lower, if you take it down, then doesn’t it stand to reason that the sentences go even lower? Yes, it does,” she
told
WAMU 88.5 last month.
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The other Washington ordinance that will earn formal disapproval from the House this week is the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022, which allows anyone who is over the age of 18 and has lived in the district for more than 30 days to vote in local elections, regardless of his or her immigration status. Rep. James Comer (R-KY) introduced the legislation.
The voting right amendment would take effect in 2024 and does not apply to federal elections.
