By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress is back from its August recess, and front and center in Washington this week is President Donald Trump’s push for a crime bill, and his control over the nation’s capital.
House Republicans are floating ideas to extend the president’s crime crackdown in Washington.
The president is urging top Republican leaders to draft a comprehensive crime bill — calling it a top priority as lawmakers return this week. Trump is also looking at Congress to extend his authority over the District’s police force.
Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, the president’s emergency powers last just 30 days. That window expires next week.
This afternoon, members of the Republican Study Committee addressed the crime issue in D.C. and made their case for continued federal intervention. They said Congress has a duty to intervene to keep the nation’s capital safe if local officials cannot.
“A capital in decline represents a nation in decline. We are not in decline. There’s a new day in this country, and there’s a new day for American leadership in the world. And our capital needs to show that,” said Rep. William Timmons (R-SC.).
As Republicans were speaking about their efforts, dozens of protesters could be seen right behind them, holding signs — some of which read “Free DC” and “Release the Epstein Files.”
Democrats said today that the president is using the crime crackdown to change the narrative.
“There’s been no effort by the Trump administration to justify any extension of the emergency powers that were probably the result of Donald Trump trying to figure out a way to change the topic, given his deep unpopularity — the failing of this administration to do a thing about lowering the high cost of living and the fact that the one big, ugly bill is incredibly unpopular,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), on Tuesday. “The expiration of the emergency powers — that’s not an extension that I support.”
“I can guarantee you that there are many Democrats that we serve with here — we need them to stand up. We need their voices to be heard, to say enough is enough, that law and order and safety and security and that bringing down violent crime is not a political but a partisan issue, that that’s just common sense,” said Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
There were dozens of protesters outside at today’s press event, two of whom were seen taken into Capitol Police custody for disrupting the event.
As far as crime in D.C., the White House says nearly 1,700 arrests have been made and 168 illegal guns have been seized in the city since the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
That accounts for 200 arrests and nearly 20 illegal guns seized over the Labor Day weekend.
