Democrats introduce measure to terminate Trump's D.C. takeover
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Rep. Jamie Raskin and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton at a House Oversight Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. on June 11, 2024. Photo: ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
A group of House and Senate Democrats on Friday introduced a joint resolution that would put an end to President Trump's control of the city's police force.
Why it matters: The measure is an extreme long-shot, but it is a show of strong Democratic opposition to a move that many in the party say amounts to a chilling and unprecedented power-grab.
- Axios was first to report on Wednesday that Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, planned to introduce a measure terminating the crime emergency.
Driving the news: Raskin is introducing the resolution along with Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
- The legislation would end the "crime emergency" that Trump declared under the Home Rule Act, which allowed him to temporarily federalize the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
- The resolution argues that Trump "has failed to identify special conditions of an emergency nature" and isn't authorized to federalize the MPD under the Home Rule Act — only direct it to assist federal law enforcement.
- It also notes that violent crime in D.C. has "declined for the past two years and currently stands at a 30-year low," and points to the federal government recently shortchanging the city's budget by $1 billion.
What they're saying: "Trump has made clear that his efforts in D.C. ... are part of a broader plan to militarize and federalize the streets of cities around America whose citizens voted against him," Raskin said in a statement.
- "In any event, there is no federal emergency justifying such a takeover even if Congress sought to use its lawmaking power to effectuate it," he added.
- Holmes Norton, D.C.'s non-voting delegate to Congress, said in a statement: "No emergency exists in D.C. that the president did not create himself, and he is not using the D.C. Police for federal purposes, as required by law."
- A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reality check: The lawmakers have no way to force the joint resolution to a vote in the House or Senate, and the Republicans who control both chambers are highly unlikely to put it to a vote.
- Congress is also out of session until next month, meaning the deployment and D.C. police takeover would last at least several weeks.
Yes, but: The Senate's 60-vote threshold will soon be an obstacle to Trump if he seeks to maintain his control of the D.C. police after a month, as he will need Democratic support for a joint resolution to extend the emergency.
- There is some discussion within Democratic circles about demanding an end to the federalization as part of government funding negotiations, but lawmakers are far from consensus on that approach.
