On Thursday, the top three elected officials in the District of Columbia, including Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chair Phil Mendelson, appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to defend their approach to local law enforcement and challenge Republican claims about rising crime in the city. The hearing, which took place on Capitol Hill, followed a wave of legislative proposals by the GOP to reduce D.C.’s autonomy in managing its own police policies.
Bowser, Mendelson, and Attorney General Brian Schwalb all stressed that violent crime in the district has reached its lowest level in three decades, and that the city is facing external threats rather than internal decay. They argued that the GOP’s focus on D.C. has been fueled by political agendas, rather than a genuine effort to improve public safety. In response to claims that the city needed federal oversight, Mendelson criticized the committee’s swift passage of 14 bills without public input or analysis of their legal and economic consequences.
Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) criticized the session as a “test kitchen” for Trump’s controversial policies, arguing that the GOP was using the District as a laboratory for radical changes to law enforcement that would have broader implications beyond the city. Democrats emphasized the importance of federal funding for hiring additional officers and supporting initiatives aimed at reducing homelessness and strengthening economic development.
Republicans, however, remained skeptical. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) accused D.C. officials of being out of touch with the majority of Americans, describing their governance as an obstacle to the national conversation on crime. One of the most contentious moments came when Rep. Virginia Foxx raised the issue of $1 billion in fiscal year 2025 funds that Congress had denied access to D.C., demanding a commitment that the money would be used exclusively for police hiring. Mayor Bowser declined to make such a promise, stating that the funds were needed to address cuts in other essential areas.
Despite the tense exchange, some committee members offered cautious support for D.C. officials. House Oversight Chair James Comer, who has previously advocated for restoring the city’s budget shortfall, acknowledged the difficult balancing act that Mayor Bowser faces, calling her