Washington – The House passed legislation Tuesday that would be overhauled as Congressional Republicans mobilized President Donald Trump to mobilize how the District of Columbia prosecuted youths who committed crimes in the congressional capital.
One of the bills called the DC Crime Act would reduce the age of young offenders in the federal district from 24 to 18 years and require criminal judgments to be associated with at least a mandatory minimum for adults, covering local DC policies. This will also require the District of Columbia Attorney General to create a public website that will publish statistics on youth crime.
The bill passed 240-179, with 30 Democrats joining Republican support.
The second bill, the DC Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, passed a narrower 225-203 profit, with eight Democrats supporting the measure, and a Republican-Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, voted against it.
Massi is the only Republican who opposes both bills.
The debate on DC law is because the autonomous bureau in the region has challenged ways that have never been seen before since the passage of the National Rule Act in 1973. Thousands of National Guard units and federal law enforcement officers are patrolling the city’s streets due to emergency orders now issued by Trump. Republicans cheered for the intervention and criticized the city for its operation.
Still, the latest DC legislation has an uncertain future in the Senate and requires some democratic support. Democrats criticized Trump’s active intervention in the governance and affairs of cities and defended the country’s capital’s ability to rule itself.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat of Texas, said Trump “continuously attacked what Republicans use to call small government and decided to be the largest government you can find. It’s really shameful.”
Crockett added that she believes the White House and House Republican actions are “just pioneers, pioneers of everything he wants to do in other minority-led cities.”
Republicans countered that the Constitution specifically excluded federal areas from the nationals and provided a number of reasons that Congress should exercise its powers to cover local government powers.
Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, addressed the floor during a debate on the Juvenile Justice Act, highlighting the stricter guidelines for “serious crimes including murder.” He added that DC’s definition of teenagers is “seven years higher” compared to other cities.
Criminal justice advocates question why the House is involved in matters in the region, especially those that have been studied and studied.
Darby Hickey, senior policy adviser at the DC Justice Lab, said the overall view is that Congress’s actions are “basically against American values, which shows that people can elect their representatives, and they will rule and make laws.” Congress “weaponize our ability to make our own laws.”
Misty Thomas Zaleski, executive director of the Court of Excellence Committee, pointed to a different Republican proposal that would eliminate the judicial nomination committee and replace members with all presidential appointees. She said the committee had been successfully working on a bipartisan way for 50 years.
“Congress is not the expert needed to address these multifaceted issues in the region,” she said.
although Washington Residents are able to elect their own mayors, councils and other officials, i.e. autonomy is restricted. Congress maintains authority over laws passed by the District of Columbia Council and can impose its own laws and restrictions. Even if the budget is generated by local tax revenue, Congress controls the DC budget.
Earlier this year, the House cut $1.1 billion from the city’s budget.
Democratic minority leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries called for the resumption of DC’s money.
“It should never be torn off,” he said.
