Latest news with #andSafetytoEveryResident
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We should take over': Trump backs GOP push to have federal government control DC
The Brief President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the federal government should 'take over' Washington, D.C. It's in line with a bill introduced by two Republican lawmakers earlier this month that would strip the District of its autonomy. Under the Home Rule Act of 1973, the city can elect its own mayor and council but Congress vets and can overturn its laws. WASHINGTON - Speaking from Air Force One Wednesday night, President Donald Trump said the federal government should "take over" D.C. He complained about crime and homelessness in the District and said that the federal government would "make it safe." "I think we should take over Washington, D.C.," Trump said. "I think that we should govern District of Columbia." Under terms of the city's Home Rule authority, Congress already controls D.C. laws and has the power to overturn them but some congressional Republicans have sought to go further, eroding decades of the city's limited autonomy and putting it back under direct federal control, as it was at its founding. The backstory Utah Senator Mike Lee and Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles introduced a bill earlier this month aimed at stripping D.C. of its ability to govern itself. The bill is named the"Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act" — a categorical strike on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has been at the center of ire among Republicans who have criticized the way the city is run. Lee and Ogles have historically been critical of Bowser and the D.C. Council. In a statement announcing the bill, Ogles wrote "Washington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness. Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city. As such, it seems appropriate for Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority and restore the nation's Capital." "The corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nation's capital for decades," said Lee. "It is long past time that Congress restored the honor and integrity of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name." Trump said he likes Bowser personally, but complained about the city's governance. "They're not doing the job," Trump said. "Too much crime, too much — too many tents on the lawns — these magnificent lawns." He argued that he can't have sights of homelessness when he hosts foreign leaders in Washington. "You just can't let that happen," Trump said. "You can't have tents on all your beautiful — your once magnificent plaza and lawns." Dig deeper The D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973 allows the city to elect its own mayor and council. It's also allowed for D.C. to choose Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners to handle community concerns. Congress still maintains control over D.C., including the ability to review all local legislation and appoint the city's judges. D.C. has no voting member in Congress, though it has a nonvoting Delegate. The Source FOX 5 DC reporting, the Associated Press
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DC mayor responds to proposed 'Bowser Act,' which aims to repeal Home Rule
The Brief Two Republican congressmen have introduced a bill that would repeal Home Rule in D.C. if passed D.C. has operated under Home Rule since 1973, ensuring residents can vote for their elected officials D.C. mayor said the district is focused on making the district become the 51st state WASHINGTON - D.C.'s mayor is responding to a proposed bill that aims to repeal Home Rule in the district and could strip the powers of the D.C. government if passed. The bill was introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee last week. It has been named the "Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident" (BOWSER) Act in the Senate and House, named after District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. According to the bill sponsors, the proposal is in response to the mayor and city council's "failure to prevent violent crime, corruption, and voting by non-citizens". It would repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act one year after passage. Mayor Bowser has addressed calls to repeal Home Rule in recent months and doubled down on her past statements Monday that D.C. has followed the law and is prepared to continue defending itself. "Home Rule is a limited self-government, but what we should be focused on is our pathway to becoming the 51st state," Mayor Bowser said Monday. The backstory Home Rule refers to the law signed in 1973 by President Richard Nixon, which created a local government for Washington, D.C. It granted DC residents the ability to elect a mayor and council, but Congress retained the power to overrule local legislation and D.C. residents remained without a vote in Congress. Prior to Home Rule being enacted, D.C. representatives were chosen by Congress and the President. Congress has the authority to manage the nation's capital according to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution, the bill sponsors said. FOX 5 reached out Monday for interviews on the proposed legislation, but neither Sen. Lee's or Rep. Ogles' offices returned our requests for comment. In a joint statement, Lee said described the 'corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government' as an 'embarrassment to our nation's capital for decades'. Rep. Ogles' remarks in the joint statement took direct aim at Mayor Bowser. "The radically progressive regime of D.C. Mayor Bowser has left our nation's Capital in crime-ridden shambles." said Rep. Ogles. "Washington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city. As such, it seems appropriate for Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority and restore the nation's Capital. The epicenter of not only the UnitedStates Federal Government but also the world geopolitics cannot continue to be a cesspool of Democrats' failed policies." What they're saying Mayor Bowser did not directly respond to the bill being named after her, nor did she address criticism from the bill sponsors. When asked about the significance of Home Rule in D.C., Bowser said Monday, the district's focus remains on becoming the 51st state in the country "I know there's talks about other places being the 51st state, but we're going to be the 51st state. What that means is that we'll be treated just like every other American. Right now, we're not, because we pay taxes. In fact, we pay more taxes than most, because we're larger than two states, but we don't have representation in Congress," she said. She added, residents are witnessing what that means under a new administration. "When important things are being debated like cabinet nominees, we neither have a voice or a vote," she said. "In the House, our congresswoman is a delegate, but she doesn't have a vote. So, we are reminded what it means to be full citizens of this nation and we can only get that through statehood." What's next Home Rule in D.C. has been challenged in the past, according to Prof. Leah Brooks at George Washington University's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. It's possible this legislation could get further than it has in the past given Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, Prof. Brooks noted. However, Brooks pointed out the bill currently less than a page long and does not clearly define what happens if Home Rule is repealed. "Basically what happens the legislation says is, we get rid of home rule as it was defined in 1973 by Congress. What it doesn't say is, what happens after that? So, what happens after that?" she questioned. "Do we go back to the Home Rule we had as of 1967 that Lyndon Johnson passed? Do we go back to Congress managing every facet of D.C.? It's hard for me to imagine that Congress wants to become the city council of Washington D.C." It's not immediately clear if other congressmembers have openly supported this bill. The Source The information in this story comes from FOX 5 reporting.
