A year after Congress blocked D.C.’s revised criminal code, complaining it was soft on crime, the House has gone a step further by passing its own D.C. crime bill.
The House passed the D.C. CRIMES Act on Wednesday with 225 votes, garnering support from Republicans as well as 18 Democrats. Proponents said the intention of the bill is to “immediately make everyone safer” in the District of Columbia. 181 no votes were also cast.
One of main components of the bill would adjust D.C.’s 1985 Youth Rehabilitation Act, which allows judges to grant those under the age of 25 lighter sentences and remove convictions from their records if their sentences are served.
“This bill requires that we treat adult criminals like adults, like the rest of the country does,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, (R-Fla.) chief sponsor of the bill during the Wednesday evening floor debate before passage.
D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, a non-voting member of the legislative body, took issue with this assessment ahead of the vote.
”D.C. is not the only jurisdiction to have such a so-called young adult offender law. Alabama, Florida, Michigan, New York, South Carolina and Vermont have such laws,” Norton said. “The sponsor of this bill is from one of those six states.”
The bill would also require the D.C. attorney general to establish and maintain a website with data on juvenile crime.
“The progressive policies of the District of Columbia city council are simply not working,” Donalds said, adding that this bill would combat what he claims are the city council’s “soft on crime sentencing policies.”
“Citizens of D.C. and visitors of the nation’s capital deserve to feel safe,” Donalds concluded.
Opposing the bill, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called it “a naked power grab against Washington,” and not helpful in the federal city where crime is already on the decline.
“It permanently strips D.C. of authority over any of its criminal laws. There’s been a 26% reduction in violent crime in 2024 and a 22% reduction in homicides. In other words, local democracy works,” Raskin said.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb also opposes the bill. He and several other city officials co-signed a letter to Congress with Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson saying that the legislation would prevent the city from taking critical steps to improve public safety.
“By prohibiting the Council from enacting ‘any act, resolution, or rule to change any criminal liability sentence,’ the bill would prevent District policymakers from responding to emerging crime trends by enhancing criminal penalties, or even create new crimes. Swift and certain consequences are essential to deterring crime, and persistent congressional interference is at odds with that goal. Given recent experience, these delays could be extensive, preventing courts from imposing longer sentences while legislation languishes in Congress,” the city leaders wrote in the May 14 letter.
The bill is headed to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where it may face more challenges before reaching President Joe Biden’s desk.
A White House statement Wednesday following the legislation’s passage signaled support for the city’s self-governance and opposition to the legislation.
“The D.C. CRIMES Act of 2024 is a counterproductive and destructive invasion of the District’s right to self-governance and would impede public safety and crime reduction. This bill highlights why the District of Columbia should have statehood,” the statement said.
Delegate Norton agreed with the administration, and said the “undemocratic, and paternalistic bill” continued a trend of limiting self-government for “the nearly 700,000 D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown.”
“The bill is an egregious violation of D.C. residents’ right to self-governance, and as the Biden Administration rightly states, it highlights why D.C. needs statehood.” Norton said.
Recently released figures from the D.C. police department show overall crime is down compared to last year, with a 16% decrease in the first five months of 2024. Violent crimes are down 26% in that same period. Homicides are down 22%, with 64 murders reported as of May 15, compared with 82 at this time last year. Robberies are down 27%, motor-vehicle related thefts fell 31%, and sexual assaults saw a 6% decline. Property crimes are down 14% year-over-year.
WTOP’s Ivy Lyons contributed to this report.
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