Press Releases

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement regarding two anti-D.C. home rule bills. The first bill, introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), would require mandatory pretrial and post-conviction detention for certain crimes. The second bill, introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), would repeal D.C.'s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022: 

“The two anti–D.C. home rule bills under consideration in the House are not about crime or public safety. Instead, they are part of a continued effort by Republicans in Congress to assert control over the 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C., who have long been denied voting representation in this body. These bills are nothing more than another blatant attempt to strip residents of their right to self-governance, roll back police accountability reforms, and reimpose discriminatory cash bail practices against the will of residents and D.C.’s elected officials.

“Despite the Trump Administration's continued claims that violent crime in D.C. is increasing, the Republican-led review of Metropolitan Police Department data has confirmed what we have long known: crime in the District is declining. These are the facts: the Republican effort to roll back local police reforms — including bans on chokeholds, body-camera rules, and accountability measures — and to end D.C.’s no-cash bail policy will criminalize poverty and create a two-tier system of justice.

“The CBC strongly opposes these anti–D.C. home rule bills and will continue fighting to protect D.C.’s right to self-governance. We will continue to oppose any effort to silence D.C. residents, and we call on our colleagues to reject these harmful, anti-democratic pieces of legislation and join us in the work to advance D.C. statehood.”