For all the latest developments in Congress, follow WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller at Today on the Hill.
President Donald Trump has again warned of a federal takeover of D.C. in the wake of an attack on a former “Department of Government Efficiency” staffer who tried to protect a woman he was with during an attempted carjacking.
“Either they’re going to straighten their act out in terms of government and in terms of protection, or we’re going to have federalize (D.C.) and run it the way it’s supposed to be run,” Trump said Tuesday, after learning about the incident.
Trump’s comments were supported by Elon Musk, who formerly ran DOGE. He also has the support of some congressional Republicans.
“Our nation’s capital deserves to be a shining example to the world, not a national embarrassment,” Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah posted on X.
Lee is a sponsor of legislation called the BOWSER Act, which would repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act that allows the District to self-govern.
The full title of Lee’s bill, aimed at D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, is “Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident” Act. The legislation was proposed earlier this year, along with a version in the U.S. House, but it has not moved forward.
What can the president do with regard to DC?
The president has a lot of power related to the District, but he can’t issue an executive order that would suddenly give the federal government the ability to fully take over the city. That would require an act of Congress.
Even if it got to the U.S. Senate floor, Lee’s bill would likely be blocked by Democrats with a filibuster.
Still, the president could potentially take control of D.C. police, though only under a qualifying emergency.
Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order to make sure D.C. is complying with the administration’s immigration policies. Trump has also pushed for federal law enforcement agencies to increase their visibility in the city and make more arrests, The Washington Post reported.
Congressional Republicans seek more control over DC
In addition to the president’s actions and public comments, congressional Republicans are trying to add a series of riders to broader legislation that would place a wide range of restrictions on D.C.
A bill currently before the House, for example, would prohibit the District from using local funds to pay for automated traffic enforcement, such as traffic cameras.
D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton has said she was “outraged” by the number of “anti-D.C. Home rule riders” in the bill.
D.C. leaders, including Bowser, have pointed to the city’s efforts to improve public safety.
Violent crime is down 26% from where it was at this point last year. Carjackings have dropped considerably, since spiking during the pandemic.
Still, violent crime continues to occur, as it did in the weekend attack on 19-year-old Edward Coristine.
Two 15-year-olds from Hyattsville, Maryland, have been arrested and charged with unarmed carjacking.
Congressional Republicans often seize on such incidents to press their argument that D.C. can’t be trusted to protect people in the nation’s capital.
Coristine, when he worked for DOGE was known as “Big Balls,” a nickname he had given himself on LinkedIn.
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