This story is part of WTOP’s ongoing series, Trump Impact, which looks at how the new administration could change the D.C. region.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his victory while signaling there could be tension on the horizon between Republican leadership in the federal government and D.C.’s local government, which is controlled by Democrats.
“The District has home rule, and the Congress could change it,” Bowser said during a news conference, referring to the Home Rule Act of 1973, which created the city’s local government.
While Bowser said she did not expect radical changes to home rule, she said the city has been planning for months, deciding what it should do if “the District has to defend itself.”
“We’re not in a new place, we’ve been in this place before, and what we have done is … we’ve defended ourselves,” Bowser said. “That would be our approach in any further occurrence.”
There has been an ongoing feud between federal and local lawmakers over self-government in the nation’s capital.
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Last year, the House and Senate passed a bill to overturn changes to the city’s criminal code that had been approved by the D.C. Council. President Joe Biden signed the measure, reflecting a shift in the long-held Democratic position that the federal government should let D.C. govern itself.
The criminal code rewrite was the first D.C. law to be completely overturned in such a way since 1991.
However, because D.C. is not a state, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability essentially vets all new District laws and frequently alters or limits them through “budget riders.”
With Republicans likely in full control of Congress, they’ve signaled that they may try to make numerous changes, such as prohibiting the District’s government from using automated traffic enforcement cameras, requiring residents show photo ID in order to vote or repealing a law that allows noncitizens to vote in local elections.
There has even been talk about trying to federalize the D.C. police department.
“I’ve worked with three presidents — including President-elect Trump — and congressional leaders of both parties to advance the priorities of the District,” Bowser said. “Washington, D.C. is prepared to welcome the new administration, and we are committed to ensuring a smooth and collaborative transition.”
Bowser said she finds common ground with Republicans in some areas, such as wanting federal employees to return to their offices in-person and wanting to find new uses for underutilized government buildings.
“We’ve been in the planning process for the inauguration since the midsummer,” said D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith, who added that authorities were already monitoring planned demonstrations around Trump’s inauguration which is set for Jan. 20. “Currently, we’re tracking four major events with respect to First Amendment activity.”
She said law enforcement agencies from around the country have agreed to provide resources, including an extra 4,000 officers to help with security for the event.
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