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New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Is Testing D.C.'s Home Rule. What Is It?
President Trump's rapidly escalating push to exert control over law enforcement in Washington, D.C., has posed one of the biggest threats to the city's self-governance since it was granted limited home rule by Congress in 1973. The fight, which has now moved to the courts, could affect not just who gives orders to the city's police officers in the coming days, but what becomes of the District's tenuous autonomy. What is home rule? The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 gave residents of the capital a limited form of self-governance for the first time since the 1800s. Before it, Congress and commissioners appointed by the president governed the city. And District residents — who had no representation in Congress — basically had no local elections to vote in, either. Home rule gave D.C. residents the power to elect a mayor, a District of Columbia Council and local neighborhood commissioners. But it also imposed extensive congressional oversight over how those officials govern the city, including the laws and budgets they adopt. As a result, the federal government hovers over how local officials govern just about every aspect of life in the city. The arrangement — unique to any city in America and originating in the Constitution's provision for a federal 'District' — has shifted some over time. For a period starting in the mid-1990s, a financial control board established by Congress managed the city's finances. And the federal government has taken back control of some functions the city struggled to fund (given the limitations Congress itself put on revenue the city could raise). But the basic contours of government in D.C. have been set for half a century by home rule — or 'limited home rule,' as locals more often describe it. Who controls the police department under home rule? The Metropolitan Police Department is controlled by Mayor Muriel Bowser of the District of Columbia, a Democrat, who appoints its police chief. The agency primarily functions as other municipal police departments do, although it also regularly supports the federal government. When the president travels around town in his motorcade, M.P.D. manages traffic. When large protests or events like inaugurations happen, M.P.D. officers help secure them (they also responded to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol). Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DC attorney general: Trump actions ‘unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful'
Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) denounced the Trump administration's move to federalize the city's police force as 'unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful.' Schwalb said Monday in a post on social platform X, after President Trump's announcement in the morning, a 'crime emergency' doesn't exist in the District, noting that violent crime reached a 30-year low last year and is currently 26 percent lower this year than at this same point last year. 'We are considering all of our options and will do what is necessary to protect the rights and safety of District residents,' he said. Trump claimed during his announcement that the federal government is taking control of the local police because the city has been 'overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.' The Home Rule Act, which grants the city a certain number of self-governing powers, allows the president to federalize the D.C. police for up to 30 days. Trump must provide Congress with written notification of his rationale for taking control of the police within 48 hours, and congressional approval would be needed to extend the president's control of the police beyond the 30 days. Trump's decision comes after a former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency was attacked during a carjacking in D.C. earlier this month. But data shows that violent crime dropped 35 percent from 2023 to 2024. The numbers in most categories of crime listed on the Metropolitan Police Department's website are also lower for 2025 than at this time in 2024. Democrats have been quick to condemn Trump's action as a power grab, a distraction and a violation of D.C.'s sovereignty. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called it 'political theater' that ignores the progress that D.C. has made in reducing crime. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Trump has 'no basis' to take over the police department and 'no credibility' on the issue of law and order. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
30-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
New McMillan site townhouses in D.C. mark next step in redevelopment plan
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser sounded triumphant at a Monday morning ribbon-cutting marking the latest step forward for the long-embattled McMillan Sand Filtration Site development in Northwest Washington. 'Every fight was worth it,' she said, 'because we can stand here today.' Behind her stood 146 new townhouses, 22 of which are set aside for low- to moderate-income home buyers, and the concrete silos familiar to generations of District residents passing by on North Capitol Street.
