DC WITHDRAWS controversial crime bill from Congress before the Senate and Biden can block it: Council will rewrite law lowering violent crime sentences that sparked Democrat fury at the White House
The chairman of the D.C. City Council has written Vice President Kamala Harris seeking to pull back legislation to change the city’s criminal code that was about to get a rebuke from the U.S. Senate.
The sudden move came as more and more Democrats were following President Joe Biden‘s lead, after he signaled he would sign a Republican bill to block the measure – even as his administration took heat for violating its own admonitions about protecting home rule in the city.
Council Chairman Phil Mendlson wrote Vice President Kamala Harris in her position as president of the Senate to tell her of his decision.
‘I transmit bills and I un-transmitted this bill,’ he told local reporters. His letter stated that the effect was to ‘withdraw this Act from congressional consideration.’
President Joe Biden said he would sign a bill that would block changes in a D.C. City Council law to Washington’s criminal code. The council chair wrote VP Kamala Harris saying he was withdrawing his transmittal of the Act to the Senate, in an effort to avoid a vote on it which his side was likely to lose
It was not immediately clear what effect the move would have. Republicans were anxiously awaiting the opportunity to use the Senate floor vote on expose a rift among Democrats – likely scoring a win in the chamber and then getting to watch Biden sign legislation that split his coalition.
Said Medelson: ‘An increasing number of Democrats in the Senate have said that either they have not taken a position, which is never a good sign, or would be supporting the override. Then when the president said that the would not veto, to me that says that there probably were more senators that would join.’
His comments came after Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a member of her party’s leadership and not a member of the party’s centrist faction, indicated she would back the move to overturn the law. Congress can do so under the Constitution, which grants it stewardship over the federal city.
‘Maybe it’s optics but it’s also within the optics the ability to find a path forward,’ he said, arguing that changes are still needed to the city’s code.
The OMB’s Statement of Administration Policy ripped the resolution, saying ‘This taxation without representation and denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded’
‘Our options are better with pulling the bill, and if the Republicans choose to go ahead with a hollow vote, that’s their choice,’ he said.
On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was put on the defensive amid House Democratic fuming about why the administration said it was against the measure on self-governance grounds for the city, only to have Biden say he would sign it if it reaches his desk.
‘This is about next year’s campaign,’ said Mendelson. ‘That’s what this is about, it’s about doing videos that so and so senator voted to be soft on crime in the District of Columbia.’
