Matt Delaney | September 10, 2025

(The Washington Times) — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill sparred Wednesday over the state of public safety in the District of Columbia as the House Oversight Committee discussed a slew of D.C.-focused proposals.

Republicans slammed their liberal colleagues for ignoring crime rates in the nation’s capital, shortly after Democrats accused the GOP members of being patsies for President Trump’s desire to exert more control over the federal city amid a massive drop in violent crime over the past month.

The verbal scrum started in earnest when Rep. Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico Democrat, said Republicans took up the issue only in light of Mr. Trump’s federal surge of law enforcement authorities and National Guard troops into the District last month.

She claimed Republicans were coordinating with the White House to undermine the local leadership and the will of D.C. residents while debating the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act.

“I don’t think that it is any mistake that this markup to vote these bills out of committee is happening on the last day that Donald Trump has ordered our nation’s National Guard to occupy this city,” Ms. Stansbury said.

The lawmaker then grilled Rep. John McGuire, Virginia Republican and the bill’s sponsor, for saying he wants to codify elements of Mr. Trump’s crime emergency into law.

The bill’s text proposes turning the federal law enforcement action, including the immigration crackdown, into mainstays of everyday life in the District.

Mr. McGuire countered by saying people are grateful for the federal presence since they can “walk down the street and walk their dog and ride on a subway without getting stabbed.”

Rep. Clay Higgins, Louisiana Republican, celebrated Ms. Stansbury’s “performance” for showcasing how out of touch the Democratic Party is on crime.

“Your display demonstrates exactly the sort of elitist, arrogant tone that Americans across the country are going to recognize as the hallmark of your party,” Mr. Higgins said.

Liberal lawmakers continued to hammer Republicans for uncritically parroting Mr. Trump’s approach to running the District.

“This body is full of lapdogs doing exactly what the President wants when he wants it, not pushing back,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, Florida Democrat.

The federal government has constitutional authority over most of D.C.’s functioning. Congress used that power two years ago when it spiked a major rewrite to the city’s criminal code that was deemed too soft on offenders.

Lawmakers also passed a proposal that would give Congress the ability to conduct line-item vetoes of D.C. laws during their mandatory congressional review period.

The bill further grants Congress a full 60 days to review laws passed by the D.C. Council. Currently, Capitol Hill has 60 days to assess new laws when it comes to public safety, but only 30 days for all other types of statutes.

The proposed expansion of Congress’ sway over the District’s local lawmaking did not sit right with Democrats.

“I understand that this is in the Constitution, that Congress has oversight over D.C. What I don’t understand is why we’re asking for line-item vetoes of D.C. legislation,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Virginia Democrat, said. “Not even the mayor has that power right now. We’re making individual members of Congress more powerful than the mayor of D.C. over D.C. matters. No D.C. resident elected any of us.”

The committee is now debating a bill to reinstate cash bail in the District.