A coalition of House and Senate Democrats has taken a significant step by introducing a joint resolution aimed at terminating President Trump's control over the police force in Washington, D.C. This move, while considered an extreme long-shot, signifies a robust opposition from the Democratic Party against what many perceive as an unprecedented power grab by the president.
According to a report by Axios, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who serves as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, planned to introduce a measure to terminate the ongoing crime emergency declared by President Trump. This resolution is being supported by key figures including Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
The legislation aims to end the crime emergency that Trump established under the Home Rule Act, which permitted him to temporarily federalize the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The resolution asserts that Trump has not demonstrated any special conditions that would constitute an emergency and argues that he is not authorized to federalize the MPD, but rather can only direct it to assist federal law enforcement agencies.
Notably, the resolution points out that violent crime in D.C. has been on a decline for the past two years, reaching a 30-year low. Additionally, it highlights a concerning trend where the federal government has reportedly shortchanged the city’s budget by approximately $1 billion. This context raises questions about the necessity of federalizing local law enforcement under the current circumstances.
In a recent statement, Raskin criticized Trump's actions, asserting that the president’s efforts in D.C. form part of a larger strategy to militarize and federalize the streets of cities that voted against him. Raskin emphasized that there is no valid federal emergency that justifies such a takeover, even if Congress were to attempt to use its legislative power to enforce it.
Holmes Norton, who represents D.C. as a non-voting delegate in Congress, echoed this sentiment by stating, “No emergency exists in D.C. that the president did not create himself, and he is not using the D.C. Police for federal purposes, as required by law.”
Despite the boldness of this resolution, it faces significant challenges. The lawmakers do not possess the means to compel a vote in either the House or Senate, especially given that Republicans control both chambers. Furthermore, Congress is out of session until next month, suggesting that the deployment and federal control of the D.C. police may persist for several weeks.
Looking ahead, the Senate's 60-vote threshold could become a formidable barrier for Trump if he intends to maintain control over the D.C. police after a month. He would require bipartisan support for a joint resolution to extend the emergency declaration. Discussions are underway within Democratic circles regarding the possibility of demanding an end to the federalization of the police as part of upcoming government funding negotiations, although there remains a lack of consensus on this approach.
