House Republicans are expected to take the lead as the GOP moves to fulfill President Trump’s call for a “comprehensive crime bill” that coincides with his crackdown on Washington, D.C., and threats to extend his efforts to other cities.
Exactly what the bill will include is unclear, but it’s expected to take aim at issues such as cashless bail, which Trump has blamed for crime.
A crime bill was not on the agenda when lawmakers exited Washington for a long August recess, but Trump has scrambled the priority list with his summer focus on crime.
“Speaker Mike Johnson, and Leader John Thune, are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill. It’s what our Country needs,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Wednesday.
Senate Republican aides say that while both Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have been in contact with Trump they expect the House to take the lead on the crime bill.
The legislation would face an uphill path in the Senate, where at least seven Democrats would need to vote for it to overcome the 60-vote hurdle to ending a filibuster.
But Republicans view forcing votes in the House and Senate on major crime bills as a political winner that will put Democrats from swing states and districts “in a box.”
The House will quickly jump into action focusing on D.C. when lawmakers return.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on Sept. 18 with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb to examine crime in the nation’s capital, according to a person familiar with the schedule.
The Oversight panel will also hold a markup next month on legislation to combat juvenile crime in the District of Columbia, address problems in D.C.’s education system and to end what Republicans say are the restrictive policing policies adopted by the D.C. City Council that have made it tougher for cops to do their jobs.
On the Senate side, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will take the lead on working on a crime bill by collaborating with both the Department of Justice and working with key players on the issue in the Senate and House.
One GOP aide said the talks are in the “infancy” stage.
At the same time, Congress would need to act by Sept. 10 to extend Trump’s control of the D.C. police force, which is set to expire after 30 days under a provision in the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act.
Republican aides say there’s little chance that Congress would be able to pass legislation extending Trump’s emergency authority only a week after returning from the August recess.
The resolution would be subject to a filibuster in the Senate, where 60 votes would be needed to advance to a final vote on the measure.
One GOP aide, however, said that Trump could attempt to extend his emergency power “administratively,” something that would be sure to face a court challenge.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said earlier this month there is “no f—ing way” that he would agree to extend Trump’s crime emergency declaration for the District.
A comprehensive GOP crime bill could provide more resources for cops on the streets, something that was a major component of the 1994 crime bill, and more explicit authority for the president to deploy National Guard troops in major cities such as Los Angeles and Washington.
Trump’s conservative allies in Congress have pressed the president for months to take a more aggressive approach to fighting crime in the District of Columbia, where the number of homicides rose dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic before declining again in 2024.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a prominent conservative voice, has urged Congress to repeal D.C.’s Home Rule Act and “federalize” the nation’s capital.
Lee is advocating for passage of the Bowser Act, which would repeal D.C. home rule after one year.
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) is an outspoken advocate of Trump’s crackdown on crime in Washington and other big cities, arguing that there are approximately eight violent crimes committed in the nation’s capital every day.
“I’m just saluting President Trump. More power to him to do whatever it takes to secure our nation’s capital. Thanks President Trump,” Marshall said during an appearance on Fox Business.
Lawmakers will also contend with Trump saying he wants $2 billion from Congress to fund his plan to “beautify” Washington.
Bowser said at a press conference Wednesday she would be supportive of the city receiving $2 billion to improve infrastructure. The city is facing a shortfall after Congress effectively cut its budget by $1 billion earlier this year in a federal spending bill.
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