"Violent crime in the District of Columbia has declined for the past two years and currently stands at a 30-year low," the measure notes. Additionally, it points out, the GOP-controlled federal government this year has prevented DC from "spending $1 billion of its own locally raised revenues—money that was budgeted for essential public safety purposes, including law enforcement, fire and emergency response services, and schools."
The bill's lead sponsors tied Trump's federalization of the MPD to his efforts to distract from intense calls—including from his base—to release files related to the federal case against deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"The only emergency here is a lawless president experiencing a growing public relations emergency because of his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his stubborn refusal to release the Epstein file despite his promise to do so," said US House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) in a statement.
"Trump has made clear that his efforts in DC, where 700,000 taxpaying American citizens lack the protections of statehood, are part of a broader plan to militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America whose citizens voted against him," he added. Trump this week deployed the National Guard in the nation's capital and threatened to do the same in other US cities—including Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Oakland—where crime rates are also falling.
Like Raskin—who led the historic second effort to impeach the president after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021—House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) framed the DC takeover as Trump "making every effort to distract America from Epstein."
In addition to Raskin and Garcia, the bill is sponsored by DC's sole representative in Congress, Democratic Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who can participate in most House proceedings but not vote on final passage of legislation.
"President Trump's incursions against DC are among the most egregious attacks on DC home rule in decades," she said. "DC residents are Americans, worthy of the same autonomy granted to residents of the states. Our local police force, paid for by DC residents, should not be subject to federalization, an action that wouldn't be possible for any other police department in the country."
"No emergency exists in DC that the president did not create himself, and he is not using the DC Police for federal purposes, as required by law," Norton continued. "I appreciate Ranking Member Raskin's enduring support for DC and for working with me to end this unprecedented, dangerous, and disgraceful violation of DC's right to govern its own local affairs."
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who will introduce the joint resolution in the upper chamber, noted that "Trump was AWOL when the District of Columbia actually needed support from the National Guard to protect it from an insurrectionist mob on January 6th."
"His current takeover is an abuse of power and nothing more than a raw power grab," Van Hollen added. "The District of Columbia has made important progress on public safety in recent years, and can do more if Trump and House Republicans get the hell out of their way and stop blocking D.C. from accessing $1 billion of its own funds to strengthen policing and provide other public services."
Earlier Friday, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit to block US Attorney General Pam Bondi from taking over the city's police department.
"I applaud DC for taking legal action to end the president's unlawful attempt to seize control of MPD," Norton said on social media, also highlighting the resolution in Congress. "DC is united in our resistance."
