Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I thank my good friend for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this radical, undemocratic, and paternalistic…”

“I thank my good friend for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this radical, undemocratic, and paternalistic bill, as do the three top local, elected District of Columbia officials: Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council Chair Phil Mendelson, and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record their joint letter opposing this bill. May 14, 2024. Hon. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries: We write today to express our opposition to H.R. 7530, the ``DC CRIMES Act,'' which we understand the House will consider this week. Since the start of the 118th Congress, the House has made a number of attempts to legislate on local District affairs. We always welcome opportunities to partner with Congress on issues. But the proposals included in H.R. 7530 would actually prevent the District government from taking steps to address dynamic crime trends. In recent months, the Mayor and the Council have put into place several pieces of public safety legislation that included more than 100 new initiatives that have, among other things, expanded pretrial detention for violent offenders and enhanced penalties for certain gun crimes. Violent crime has decreased by 25 percent and property crime has decreased by 14 percent when compared to the same period last year.…”