Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Andrew Garbarino of New York introduced a joint resolution of disapproval on Thursday to block the Washington, D.C., City Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022.
The legislation was first obtained by the Daily Caller and focuses on the D.C. crime law, which reduces police power amid rising crime in the district. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) faces a historic staffing shortage and has struggled to recruit new officers.
Since Jan. 2020, the MPD has lost more than 1,100 officers and is currently operating in an officer deficit.
The Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 would:
- Prohibit the Review of BWC Recordings by Investigating Officers
- Require the Immediate Release of Body-Worn Camera Footage and Names of Officers in Serious Use of Force Matters
- Remove All Police Officers from the Office of Police Complaints Board and the Union Representatives from the Use of Force Review Board
- Remove a rank-and-file police representative from the Use of Force Review Board and expands the voting members to include anti-police activists
- Allows for the Disclosure of Disciplinary Records and Creates a Public Discipline Database
- Eliminates Collective Bargaining Rights of Police Officers
- Eliminates the Requirement of Bringing Timely Discipline Against D.C. Police Officers
- Repeals D.C. Code 5-1031, which requires the MPD to commence discipline against D.C. police officers within 90 business days, which will result in abusively long disciplinary investigations that violate the Constitutional rights of D.C. police officers
Congress can exercise authority over D.C. local affairs, according to the District Clause of the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17), and Congress reviews all D.C. legislation before it can become law. Congress can change or even overturn D.C. legislation and can impose new laws on the district.
“As the Metropolitan Police Department grapples with the District’s ongoing crime crisis amidst a historic staff shortage, the D.C. Council is determined to enact a deeply flawed bill that prevents officers from effectively protecting and serving Americans in Washington,” Clyde told the Caller before introducing the legislation.
“Alarmingly, this misguided law will inevitably jeopardize the MPD’s ongoing efforts to recruit and retain officers — worsening an already serious problem. Now that Congress has effectively used its constitutional authority to strike down the D.C. Council’s dangerous Revised Criminal Code Act, we must now move to swiftly block this anti-police measure to ensure our nation’s capital city is safe for all Americans,” he added.
On Wednesday, The U.S. Senate passed a resolution of disapproval to block the Washington, D.C., City Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, which would lower penalties for a number of violent criminal offenses. The Caller first broke the news of the legislation on Feb. 2. The vote was 81-14, with a total of 33 Democrats voting with Republicans to pass the bill.
The D.C. Council approved the Revised Criminal Code Act (RCCA) in Nov. 2022. The RCCA reduces penalties for certain violent criminal offenses, including carjackings, robberies and homicides. Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed the bill on Jan. 4, but the council overrode her veto Jan. 17 by a vote of 12-1.
READ THE JOINT RESOLUTION HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
Violent crime in D.C. surged throughout 2021. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) data shows that the number of homicides increased 19 percent in 2020 and remained constant into 2021, the Washingtonian reported. Carjackings have tripled since 2019. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House, Senate GOP To Start ‘DC Home Rule’ Vote To Block District’s New Crime Law)
“For years Democrats in Washington and New York have vilified law enforcement — gutting morale, enacting policies that prevent officers from effectively doing their jobs, and inciting violent anti-police sentiment,” Garbarino told the Caller. “Dedicated public servants are resigning in record numbers due to the current policing environment with very few willing to take their place. This Joint Resolution would disapprove of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 which was passed by the D.C. Council in defiance of very real safety concerns raised by law enforcement. It’s time to say enough is enough and push back on the anti-police narrative, starting here in our nation’s capital.” (RELATED: Senate Passes Legislation To Block DC’s New Crime Law, Heads To Biden’s Desk For Signature)
The joint resolution picked up support from the D.C. Police Union, who said the act’s proposals are dangerous and would lead to more crime in the nation’s capital.
“The introduction of this new House Joint Resolution is necessary to protect public safety in our Nation’s Capital,” said D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton. “This Act is a dangerous law that destroys collective bargaining rights of MPD police officers, eviscerates due process, reduces less-lethal options for law enforcement during a riot, and further contributes to the critical staffing crisis that is plaguing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) today. This Act is laced with bad policies with real-world consequences that delay justice for families and victims.”
The joint resolution has 15 cosigners: Reps. Buddy Carter of Georgia, Anthony D’Esposito of New York, Jeff Duncan and Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Darrell Issa and Doug LaMalfa of California, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Jake LaTurner of Kansas, Anna Paulina Luna and Daniel Webster of Florida, Pete Stauber of Minnesota and Rudy Yakym of Indiana.