Democrats introduce joint resolution to end Trump’s ‘lawless’ DC takeover | Washington DC

Democratic legislators have introduced a joint resolution aimed at ending what they call the illegal and unprecedented move to Trump to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington DC.

Representative Jamie Raskin, classification member of the Judicial Committee of the Chamber, delegate of the non -voting chamber of DC, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and representative Robert Garcia, classification member of the Chamber Committee on surveillance and government reform presented the resolution on Friday, invoking the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973.

The resolution stipulates that Trump has not demonstrated the existence of specific emergency conditions which would justify the federalization of the police forces. In the Senate, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland will sponsor the resolution.

“The only emergency here is an without law who knows an increasing emergency of public relations because of his close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his obstinate refusal to release the Epstein file despite his promise to do so,” said Raskin in a statement shared with the Guardian.

The 1973 Home Rule Act stipulates that DC residents have the power to govern their local affairs, in particular by electing a mayor and members of the local council. But because DC is considered to be a “federal district” rather than a state, the president and the congress (where DC residents do not have voting representatives) receive the legal capacity to manage local laws and local taxes.

Under the law, the president has a limited power to temporarily take the DC police service to “federal purposes” under “special conditions of an emergency”. Trump on Monday signed an executive decree conferring direct control of the MPD in a very controversial and suspected premeditated decision.

But the legislators argue that the special conditions have not been met and that the Congress has the power to end this emergency control by a joint resolution.

According to sponsors of the joint resolution, the president tried to rationalize his decision to place the local police under federal control and increase the militarization of the city by pushing a deceptive report of the DC crime rate, which in fact decreased for two consecutive years and recently reached its lowest point in three decades.

“President Trump’s incursions against DC are among the most blatant attacks on DC Home Rule during the decades,” said Norton. “DC residents are Americans, worthy of the same autonomy granted to residents of the States … There is no emergency to DC that the president was not created himself, and he does not use DC police for federal purposes, as required by law.”

Legislators say that its shares have aggravated public security by blocking DC access to $ 1 billion in funds generated locally intended for police, fire, emergency services and other security programs.

In addition, the resolution notes that Trump has removed or reassured many DC prosecutors, creating a backlog in criminal cases and delaying justice for the victims. He also forgiven or granted leniency to nearly 1,600 people involved in the January 6 attack against the American Capitol in 2021, including hundreds of people recognized as guilty of having attacked law enforcement agents.