House GOP trio introduces bill repealing DC Home Rule Act

Three Republican congressmen introduced a bill Tuesday to repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act, an effort that would remove the Washington, D.C., mayor and council, granting all governing authority in the District to Congress.

The bill, which is not likely to pass, was introduced by Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) and cosponsored by Reps. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Ogles said the bill is an attempt to exert authority over the District as Republicans focus on crime policy.

“In the first 5 days of August, DC saw 13 homicides. The Nation’s capital has been overrun with violent crime, drugs, theft, homelessness, and riots,” Ogles said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. 

“The Constitution places the authority and responsibility of DC administration with the Congress — not with a DC Mayor or a DC City Council. Congress needs to reclaim its Constitutional authority and make our Nation’s capital safe again, which is why I’m introducing the Seat of Government Act to repeal the DC Home Rule Act,” he continued.

The D.C. Home Rule Act, passed in 1973, establishes the District’s council and mayor. Congress must still approve any bill the council passes, but the Home Rule Act significantly expanded the District’s autonomy. 

Moves by Congress to block D.C. laws are rare, but a bipartisan group of members voted to overturn an updated criminal code for the District in March. That updated code lowered penalties for some violent crimes, drawing criticism from both parties.

Some Democrats joined all Republicans in overturning the D.C. crime bill in both chambers, with President Biden agreeing to overturn the measure later in March, a controversial move that angered progressive Democrats.

Congress passed a resolution overturning a D.C. police reform bill in May, though Biden vetoed that resolution letting the D.C. bill go into effect.

Violent crime is up about 37 percent in 2023 when compared to this point in 2022, according to District police data. There have been 164 homicides, a 25 percent increase, and 2,159 robberies, a 61 percent increase, as of Tuesday morning. Car thefts have increased by 114 percent since last year, according to the data.

If passed, Congress would again be responsible for all aspects of the D.C. government, from managing and funding public services like police to public works and infrastructure. 

District politicians have criticized Ogles’s proposal.

“My first reaction is this: The gentleman hasn’t a clue how to run the District of Columbia,” District Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) told The Washington Post. “And the notion that Congress is ready to go back 50 years, when it wasn’t running the city well then, is fantasy.”