Repealing the DC Local Law: Does the Law in DC Prevent Vicious Crimes? Sen. John Fetterman’s case isn’t
I do not support it. Manchin addressed the concerns that the law in DC lowers sentencing requirements for some violent criminals by saying he would like to put people away and not let them out. “I haven’t been briefed on it, but what I know about it, I would vote to rescind it.”
Manchin’s decision signals the legislation has a good chance of passing in the narrowly divided Senate, where Democrats hold a 51-49 majority. It passed earlier this month in the Republican-controlled House with the backing of 31 Democrats.
The local law repeal bill was sponsored by a Tennessee Republican Senator who believed it was a good idea in a city with a lot of violent crimes. Politically, he compared it to the “defund the police” issue and said for centrist Democrats, “I don’t think that’s going to be very popular in their states and this falls right in that lane.”
It is a raw nerve with a lot of the American people. They say the cities aren’t safe. I think it’s a problem for Democrats to oppose something that would make some of our larger population centers more safe,” Thune said. “My expectation is that some Democrats here in the Senate would vote for it. Then it would be up to Biden about what he wants to do.”
Many Democrats don’t think the law in DC should be changed. They argue local officials should make their own laws free of congressional interference and decry Republicans as hypocrites since they typically promote state and local rights. The law was passed after the city council overrode the veto of Mayor Muriel Bowser. She dislikes the new law and does not want Congress to overturn it.
Complicating Democrats’ efforts to prevent the Republicans from passing their bill is the absence of Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat of Pennsylvania, who is hospitalized for an unknown duration.
The DC Council: Pulling Back the DC Home Rule Act and Expecting a Senate Vote on a Local Crime Re-examination
Mendelson added that he has “not found precedent” for a DC council chairman withdrawing legislation that has already been submitted to Congress for review, but said he believes he has that authority since the DC Home Rule Act empowers the chairman with transmitting legislation to Congress.
“It’s clear that Congress is intending to override that legislation and so my letter, just as I transmit bills for their review, withdraws from consideration the review.”
Both sides are trying to understand the consequences of his attempted withdrawal. A senior Republican aide said the GOP still expects a Senate vote this week to halt the local legislation.
Another leadership aide added: “Not only does the statute not allow for a withdrawal of a transmission, but at this point the Senate Republican privileged motion will be acting on the House disapproval resolution, rather than the DC Council’s transmission to the Senate. We expect the vote to take place.
Mendelson’s decision comes days before the Senate is set to vote to overturn the crime bill. Legislation to overturn the bill was going to be overwhelmingly approved and President Joe Biden would not veto it.
The clock would have to be re-transmitted to both houses in order to get the measure done, so pulling it back will allow the council to work on it.
“The Home Rule Act is very clear that I transmit and there is not a prohibition on my pulling it back,” Mendelson said. “This law will not go into effect because I have pulled it back.”
The Senate vote would be a messaging vote that wouldn’t have a bearing on whether the law is actually implemented or not, since it was withdrawn prior to the Senate vote.
Moderate Democrats who voted against the GOP proposal were put in a position to be attacked by the GOP because they voted against being soft on crime. Some of those moderate Democrats were furious with Biden for waiting to signal his intentions until after they had voted against the effort.