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President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are working to solidify his grip on Washington, D.C.
A leadership aide told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that House Republicans are working with the White House on a package of bills “to fix the many problems with D.C. governance and crime.”
Trump all but confirmed the effort in a late-night Truth Social post at midnight on Wednesday stating that House and Senate leaders “are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill.”
“It’s what our country needs, and NOW! More to follow,” Trump posted.
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Meanwhile, House GOP Trump allies have been working on various measures to extend the president’s grip on D.C.’s police, which another source told Fox News Digital the White House was keeping track of.
Under The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, which, among other measures, established a local government for the nation’s capital, the president is allowed to federalize D.C.’s police force for a period of 48 hours, though it can extend to 30 days with notification to the relevant congressional committees.
Any longer period must be authorized via a resolution passed in the House and Senate – several of which have already been offered while lawmakers are back on their home turfs for the annual August recess.
The act does not limit how long Trump can deploy federal forces into the capital for, however – which he has also done.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., was first to announce he was working on a bill “to amend the D.C. Home Rule Act, so the president can extend this emergency as long as it takes, until our Capitol is taken back, and its streets are safe” on Aug. 13.
He told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that House GOP leadership seemed positive about his bill.
“I sent it to [House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.] after we drafted it,” Ogles said. “He liked the proposal, so when we get back, we’ll sort through the various ideas and approaches and see which one is best. Obviously, I’ll advocate for mine, but…whatever keeps the people safe.”
Ogles pointed out that his bill, while getting rid of the 30-day limit, also requires the White House to notify Congress every 30 days about the basis for continuing federalization of D.C.’s police because “we still have a Constitution that we need to abide by.”
Scalise’s office did not address Ogles’ bill when reached by Fox News Digital.
Others, like Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., have introduced similar bills.
“I think that there’s plenty of support for my bill, or a version of it,” Luna told Fox News Digital. “The fact is, is that, you know, we do have home rule. It’s well within our right and authority. And frankly, we’re doing it not just for us, but also for the actual civilians in the Washington, D.C., area.”
Luna’s bill, like Ogles’, would extend Trump’s ability to federalize D.C. police for as long a period as the president deems necessary.
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Biggs’ bill would extend Trump’s hold on D.C. police for a period of six months.
Because D.C. is a federal district, and not a state, Congress and the federal government are able to exercise significant amounts of control over various aspects of how it’s run.
The White House and Trump allies have touted a significant decrease in homicides in D.C. since Trump took over policing in the city, while signaling that other U.S. cities could soon see federal government intervention to deal with crime as well.
Opponents of the move, largely Democrats, have accused the Trump administration of ripping autonomy away from those who live in the nation’s capital.
A White House official told Fox News Digital when asked for more information, “Efforts to address some of the underlying causes of the DC crime problem will be a topic of sustained focus for the administration, as well as other issues, such as maintenance, transportation and beautification.”
“That includes working with all levels of government, executive branch, legislative branch, and Washington, DC, to ensure that the capital city of the greatest nation on earth is the envy of the world,” the official said.
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