U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) has joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Senate Republicans in introducing the CLEAN D.C. Act, a bill aimed at repealing the District of Columbia Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.
Senator Budd stated, “For far too long, our nation’s capital has been plagued by rampant crime and unsafe streets. Law-abiding citizens are tired of D.C. politicians hiding the reality facing families: increased gun violence, ignored calls for vehicles broken into and other petty thefts, and an inability to buy basic goods at the local shop without clerks opening locked cases.
“That is why President Trump has stepped in to restore law and order, and why the DOJ is rightfully exercising its authority to investigate the alleged manipulation of D.C.’s crime rates. I am proud to join Senator Cruz and my colleagues in reaffirming Congressional authority to implement common-sense policing measures in Washington, D.C., to support the President’s agenda—putting safety first,” said Senator Budd.
Senator Cruz commented on recent crime trends in Washington: “Violent crime has become endemic in Washington, DC as a direct result of political and ideological decisions made by Democrats. Those decisions included passing and trying to lock in anti-police measures such as the Orwellian-named Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, which undermined police morale, weakened officer retention, and contributed to a still-ongoing public safety disaster. The CLEAN D.C. Act will reverse that decision, and I call upon my colleagues in Congress to pass it.”
The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Katie Britt (R-Ala.).
According to supporters of the legislation, provisions within the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act ban certain police tactics, remove legal protections for officers, allow public release of some records that could threaten officer safety, and place limits on protest policing methods including non-lethal crowd control tools. Law enforcement leaders have expressed concerns that these changes could lower officer morale, worsen staffing shortages among police in D.C., and embolden criminal activity.
