Washington, D.C. — Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) released the following statement after voting for legislation disapproving of the District of Columbia City Council’s new policies gutting law enforcement’s ability to keep the peace in violence-torn D.C. Under Article I of the Constitution, Congress holds exclusive legislative jurisdiction over our nation’s capital. The D.C. Home Rule Act gives both Congressional chambers the authority to review legislation passed by the Council of the District of Columbia. “The American people should feel safe visiting their nation’s capital and meeting with their representatives without fear for their lives or property,” said Moore. “Instead of a deadly cesspool of consequence-free violent crime, our capital city should be a beacon of freedom and rule of law to Americans and foreign visitors alike. The escalating D.C. crime epidemic brought on by ‘defund the police’ and ‘no cash bail’ policies endangers all Americans regardless of partisan leanings or political convictions, and elected officials of both parties should reject soft-on-crime policies that embolden criminals and hamstring overburdened law enforcement.” The Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, passed by the D.C. City Council last month, eliminates mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes except first-degree murder, eliminates life sentences and reduces maximum penalties for violent crimes such as burglary, carjackings, and robberies, and expands the right to a jury trial to include most misdemeanors. The legislation is considered so dangerous, far-left D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed it. However, on January 17, the D.C. Council voted 12-1 to override Mayor Bower’s veto. In a letter to D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, Mayor Bowser wrote, “I have very serious concerns about some of the bill’s proposals,” and “I believe it is more important to get this opportunity right than to add policies and weaken penalties into what should be a bill that makes DC safer.” Additionally, the hyper-progressive Washington Post editorial board came out against the D.C. Council’s legislation. Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA-09), who introduced the joint resolution, and Sen. Bill Hagerty (TN-R), the leader of the Senate version, wrote an op-ed in today’s Washington Post on the importance of Congress saving the capital from woke pro-crime policies. |
