House blocks pair of local DC bills, reignites talk of statehood

Feb 14, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer/Editor)

Since Washington D.C., doesn’t have statehood, Congress has oversight on issues at the city level. Whether it’s local laws or the city budget, lawmakers are able to intervene when they feel it is necessary. That’s what they are trying to do right now to block two local bills.

The House has already passed disapproval resolutions to stop two laws the city council approved last election. The two bills allow immigrants to vote in local elections and it revises its current criminal code to reduce maximum sentences for felony murder among other criminal reform policies.

Lawmakers from both parties in the House voted last week to stop the measures from taking effect. Now, the disapproval resolutions head to the Senate. Congressional staffers told the Washington Post that all it will take is a simple majority in the Senate to pass.

The large bipartisan support in the House vote doesn’t bode well for the district’s agenda. But even if the Senate votes to stop these two measures in its tracks, President Biden will still have an opportunity to veto the disapproval resolutions.

The debate on Capitol Hill has reignited the conversation of the district’s statehood. The city mayor and council are telling Congress to stop meddling in their local issues. President Biden has signaled he agrees that the district should be able to have a say on local matters.

Most of the time, Congress does stay out of it. It’s been roughly three decades since Congress has successfully used a disapproval resolution to overturn local legislation. But the bills that would allow immigrants to vote in local elections, and revisions to its criminal code, have created enough controversy for Congress to flex its power over the district.

Tags: Crime, House of Representatives, House Republicans, Immigration, U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, Voting, Washington DC

KARAH RUCKER: SINCE WASHINGTON D.C. DOESN’T HAVE STATEHOOD, CONGRESS HAS OVERSIGHT ON ISSUES AT THE CITY LEVEL.
WHETHER IT BE LOCAL LAWS OR THE CITY BUDGET – LAWMAKERS ARE ABLE TO INTERVENE WHEN THEY FEEL NECESSARY. WHICH IS WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW TO BLOCK TWO LOCAL BILLS.

THE HOUSE HAS ALREADY PASSED DISAPPROVAL RESOLUTIONS TO STOP TWO LAWS THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED LAST ELECTION.
THE TWO BILLS ALLOW IMMIGRANTS TO VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS AND REVISES ITS CURRENT CRIMINAL CODE TO REDUCE MAXIMUM SENTENCES FOR FELONY MURDER AMONG OTHER CRIMINAL-REFORM POLICIES.

LAWMAKERS IN THE HOUSE, FROM BOTH PARTIES, VOTED LAST WEEK TO STOP THE MEASURES FROM TAKING EFFECT. AND NOW THE DISAPPROVAL RESOLUTIONS HEAD TO THE SENATE.

CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST – ALL IT WILL TAKE IS A SIMPLE MAJORITY IN THE SENATE TO PASS.

THE LARGE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE HOUSE VOTE DOESN’T BODE WELL FOR DC’S AGENDA. BUT EVEN IF THE SENATE VOTES TO STOP THESE TWO MEASURES IN ITS TRACKS – PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VETO THE DISAPPROVAL RESOLUTIONS.

THE HOT DEBATE ON CAPITOL HILL HAS REIGNITED THE CONVERSATION OF DC’S STATEHOOD. THE CITY MAYOR, THE COUNCIL, ARE TELLING CONGRESS TO STOP MEDDLING IN THEIR LOCAL ISSUES. AND PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SIGNALED HE AGREES THAT DC SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A SAY SO ON LOCAL MATTERS.

MOST OF THE TIME — CONGRESS DOES STAY OUT OF IT. IT’S BEEN ROUGHLY THREE DECADES SINCE CONGRESS HAS SUCCESSFULLY USED A DISAPPROVAL RESOLUTION TO OVERTURN DC LEGISLATION. BUT THE BILLS THAT WOULD ALLOW IMMIGRANTS TO VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS…AND REVISIONS TO ITS CRIMINAL CODE…HAVE CREATED ENOUGH CONTROVERSY FOR CONGRESS TO FLEX ITS POWER OVER THE DISTRICT.