Kaine, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Grant D.C. Full Control Over Its Police

WASHINGTON, D.C. –This week, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation to grant the District of Columbia full control over the Metropolitan Police Department. The introduction follows President Trump’s federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department inAugust, and as congressional Republicans plan more attacks on the District of Columbia’s self-governance.
“If President Trump really cared about safety in D.C., he would have immediately deployed the National Guard on January 6, 2021, and wouldn’t have pardoned hundreds of rioters who broke into the Capitol that day, including individuals convicted of assaulting police officers,”said Kaine.“His takeover of the MPD is an unnecessary escalation clearly designed to distract Americans from issues like rising prices on everyday goods and health care premiums, and incompetence from the Trump Administration.”
TheDistrict of Columbia Police Home Rule Actwould repeal the provision in theHome Rule Actthat gives the President the authority to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department. TheHome Rule Actprovides that, “whenever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes, he may direct the mayor to provide him, and the mayor shall provide, such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate.”
In addition to Kaine, this bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
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