The House action yesterday is an affront to democracy, undermines the voice and vote of 700,000 U.S. citizens and legal residents, and threatens public safety in the District with counterproductive measures. 

The bills passed by the House would make D.C. less safe, not more. They’ll cause confusion in policing and in pre-trial detention protocol, undoing years of public safety advances in the District. They’ll allow dangerous people who can afford bail out on the streets and keep less dangerous people who are poor in jail, even while presumed innocent. 

But this isn’t just about these bills. It’s about a duplicitous Republican Congress manufacturing problems that it can “solve” for political gain. The Republican Congress is imposing its heavy hand on the residents of the District in a way they never would or could in any other state. Under Home Rule, D.C. voters elect local leaders to make local decisions. As in every other jurisdiction in the country, we can vote leaders out of office if we disagree with their actions. These votes make clear that D.C. must be given the full rights of statehood and self-determination.  

Hands Off D.C.