Republicans confront Bowser and D.C. officials over crime fighting

Driving the news: Republicans leading the House Oversight Committee, which oversees D.C. affairs, needled D.C. leaders about juvenile crime prosecution, allegations of the Metropolitan Police Department manipulating crime data, and the D.C. Council's policing reforms.

• Council Chair Phil Mendelson and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb pushed back on the federal law enforcement surge, arguing the National Guard and temporary takeover of D.C. police are not long-term solutions to preventing crime. Mendelson also denied claims of police cooking the books.
• Much of the hearing revolved around D.C. officials defending their approach to crime fighting, as Democrats on the committee denounced the use of the military in U.S. cities.

But some requests were made, too: Bowser asked Congress to help the city hire 800 new police officers and fund a new training academy for police and firefighters. Mendelson called for federal funding for a new D.C. jail.

"We are putting every resource necessary towards public safety," Bowser said, noting a 53% drop in violent crime since 2023 and a 75% drop in carjackings during the one-month federal surge.

Inside the room: There were testy off-topic moments.

• After bringing up DEI and LGBTQ issues, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) asked Bowser: "What is a woman?"
• Bowser stared back: "I'm a woman. Are you a woman?"
• Mace: "100%."
• "I'm a woman," Bowser said. "You're looking at one."

The big picture: The testimony comes after the House passed several D.C. crime bills this week, including one that allows prosecutors to charge 14-year-olds as adults and another that allows police to chase vehicles.

What's next: They now go to the Senate.

• Bills still pending in the House include one that would require cash bail in D.C., a move President Trump has sought, along with replacing the attorney general with a presidential appointee.