House Republicans have rallied behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to take control of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, framing the move as a critical step in addressing widespread safety concerns and governance issues. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) announced plans to hold a public hearing with Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council Chair Phil Mendelson, and Attorney General Brian Schwalb next month, criticizing the D.C. Council’s allegedly lenient criminal justice policies. Comer argued that the local government’s ‘radical, soft-on-crime agenda’ has emboldened criminal activity and jeopardized public safety in the nation’s capital.
Trump’s executive order to assume control of the Metropolitan Police Department, which entered a 30-day clock for congressional approval, has amplified the GOP’s focus on D.C. The timing of the move aligns with recent high-profile incidents, including a fatal shooting of an intern for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) and a recent assault on a Trump administration staffer. While violent crime in the city reached a 30-year low in 2024, Republicans argue that the city remains unsafe and poorly governed. Comer and other GOP leaders have called for legislative action to address these issues, including reimposing cash bail, which has been largely abolished in D.C. for over three decades.
The GOP has already introduced related legislation in the House, such as Rep. Byron Donalds’ (R-Fla.) bill to limit ‘youth offender’ status to individuals under 18, and Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-N.Y.) efforts to reverse no-cash-bail policies nationwide. However, passing such measures faces uncertainty due to the House’s extended summer recess and potential delays in the legislative process. The Senate, now controlled by Democrats, could block the bills using the filibuster, requiring a 60-vote majority — a challenge that could force some Senate Democrats into politically risky votes ahead of the midterm elections.
Democratic leaders have strongly opposed Trump’s actions, accusing him of lacking credibility on law and order and calling his moves a ‘political ploy’ to divert attention from other scandals. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), for instance, labeled the Trump administration’s takeover of the police force as a ‘phony, manufactured crisis,’ drawing parallels to Trump’s inaction during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. While the House GOP may be able to push D.C.-related bills through on party lines, the Democratic-controlled Senate could use the filibuster to prevent them from reaching the president’s desk. This standoff highlights the deepening political divide over the role of federal oversight in local governance and the extent to which national political issues can influence local policy battles.