Rep. Andrew Clyde led bipartisan passage of companion resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives
WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) today led 45 of his Senate Colleagues in introducing a resolution of disapproval to block the D.C. Council’s dangerous and irresponsible Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 (RCCA) from taking effect. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) introduced the companion resolution of disapproval in the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed today by a 250-173 vote.
The RCCA would reduce penalties for many violent criminal offenses, including carjackings, robberies, and even homicides, amid a surge in violent crime in Washington, D.C. and nationwide. On January 4th, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed the legislation—stating in a letter to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson that the bill “does not make us safer.” The D.C. Council ultimately ignored the Mayor’s concerns, voting 12-1 to override her veto on January 17th and send the bill to Congress for review pursuant to the D.C. Home Rule Act.
“The American public has had enough of the crime wave that’s rolling across our country, including in our nation’s capital,” said Senator Hagerty. “Congress is tasked with overseeing Washington, D.C.—a federal district where people should be safe to live and work. The District should set a nationwide example by enacting legislation that makes its residents and visitors safer—not less safe. I applaud the bipartisan passage of the House resolution today and hope that my Senate colleagues will make clear that Congress intends to hold D.C. to this standard.”
“The D.C. Council’s radical rewrite of the criminal code threatens the well-being of both Washingtonians and visitors—making our nation’s capital city a safe haven for violent criminals,” said Rep. Clyde. “In response to this dangerous and severely misguided measure, it’s now up to Congress to save our nation’s capital from itself. Our Constitution grants Congress the responsibility and authority to manage Washington’s affairs, which is why we must swiftly pass a resolution of disapproval to stop this insanity in its tracks. I urge Republicans and Democrats in both chambers to join our fight to make Washington safe for all Americans by blocking the D.C. Council’s soft-on-crime bill.”
In December 2022, K. Denise Krepp, a former locally elected D.C. official, urged Congress to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval to block the RCCA.
“Last year, the D.C. Council wrote a law that enables the early release of convicted rapists from prison. I asked Congress to disapprove the bill because rape is an irreversible crime,” said Krepp. “Victims don’t get to rewind the clock and they live with the pain every day. I thank Congress for introducing the disapproval resolution and I respectfully ask that all members support it. Rape isn’t a partisan issue. It’s an act of violence and convicted rapists should be required to serve their full prison sentences.”
Original co-sponsors of Hagerty’s resolution of disapproval include Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), James Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).
Full text of the resolution can be found here.
Read the Daily Caller’s exclusive on the legislation here, and Hagerty and Clyde’s piece in the Washington Post here.
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