For all the latest developments in Congress, follow WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller at Today on the Hill.
D.C. leaders and supporters say the city could do more to address public safety in the midst of the federal crime crackdown if House Republicans would restore $1 billion that was taken away from the District earlier this year.
Congressional Republicans have issued numerous statements in support of President Donald Trump’s decision to take over the Metro police and activate the National Guard to fight crime in D.C.
“President Trump is right. We can’t allow crime to destroy our nation’s capital,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement on social media this week.
Johnson had also said more than three months ago that he would call for a House vote on a bill to fix the glitch that created the $1 billion hole in the D.C. budget.
It never happened.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland pointed out this week that the House has taken no action on legislation that he sponsored, which passed in the Senate, to address the D.C. financial issue.
Van Hollen said on Tuesday that with regard to D.C. crime, “we can always do better.”
“That’s why Donald Trump needs to release the $1 billion in money, the D.C. people’s money, so that they can hire more police,” the Democratic lawmaker said. “He and the Republicans in the House have been holding up a bill that I passed with (Maine Republican) Sen. Susan Collins on a bipartisan basis.”
The money does not involve any federal funding and had been approved by congressional appropriators.
The District has had to take various steps within its budget to work around the issue.
Some in GOP press for broader DC takeover
While Van Hollen and many Democrats accuse Trump of carrying out unnecessary overreach on crime, some Republicans argue it’s time for an end to D.C. Home Rule, which allows for the District to have self-government.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has proposed legislation that would repeal the Home Rule Act and recently wrote an op-ed about several attacks on people with ties to Capitol Hill.
He pointed to the fatal shooting in July of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, a 21-year-old who was an innocent victim during a confrontation between two rival groups.
Before Trump announced his crime plan on Monday, Tarpinian-Jachym’s mother said she agreed that violence is out of control in D.C. and should be federalized.
Lee’s legislation has some support among Republicans, but would likely be blocked by a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, where 60 votes are required for it to move forward.
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said this week that the president’s takeover of the police department and activation of the D.C. National Guard “underscore the necessity of D.C. statehood.”
She and Van Hollen are reintroducing legislation that would prohibit the president from taking over the police department and give authority for activating the National Guard to the mayor.
DC funding could come up in next round of budget battles
Congressional Democrats plan to push for D.C. to get the House to restore funding for the District when lawmakers return next month.
Republicans, with the support of the president and Jeanine Pirro, the new U.S. Attorney for D.C., plan to seek an end to no-cash bail for those accused of crimes, as well as tougher measures to deal with juvenile crime.
As members of the two parties battle over measures involving D.C., Congress more broadly will need to approve a continuing resolution ahead of the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1 to avert a government shutdown.
Democratic leaders have been holding strategy sessions to determine how they will address a growing number of funding issues that have left them angry and frustrated.
Some rank-and-file Democrats argue that it is time for a showdown with the president and Republicans, which could potentially lead to a shutdown.
Others are concerned that if a shutdown occurs, it could cause Trump to make even deeper cuts in the federal workforce.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
