Democrats lashed out at President Joe Biden on Thursday after he announced he would sign a bill overruling a radical overhaul of the Washington, D.C., criminal code.
What is the background?
Mayor Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) vetoed the bill, but the D.C. City Council overruled her veto. But because of the nature of the law, which significantly reduces penalties for certain felonies and violent crimes, Congress acted to use its constitutionally vested power to prevent the crime bill from taking effect.
Last month, the House passed a resolution blocking the law. A sizable number of House Democrats, 31, supported the resolution, while most House Democrats, 173, opposed it.
On Thursday, Biden told Senate Democrats that he would not veto the bill if and when the Senate approves it.
What are Democrats saying?
Furious House Democrats blasted Biden for reneging on his support of D.C.’s crime law overhaul.
Indeed, on Feb. 6, the Office of Management and Budget released a Statement of Administration Policy voicing opposition to the House bill overruling D.C.’s law. The effort to overturn to the law, the statement claimed, is an example of “how the District of Columbia continues to be denied true self-governance and why it deserves statehood.”
“While we work towards making Washington, D.C. the 51st state of our Union, Congress should respect the District of Columbia’s autonomy to govern its own local affairs,” the statement added.
Thus by reversing its position, one House Democrat told The Hill, “The White House f***** this up royally.”
“So a lot of us who are allies voted no in order to support what the White House wanted. And now we are being hung out to dry,” the lawmaker said in a text message. “F****** AMATEUR HOUR. HEADS SHOULD ROLL OVER AT THE WHITE HOUSE OVER THIS.”
That lawmaker added that other Democrats are “EXTREMELY pissed” at Biden.
Other Democrats, like Rep. Pete Aguilar, the No. 3 House Democrat, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have also publicly spoken out against Biden’s decision.
When the Senate finally does hold a vote, it will likely pass the bill because moderate Democrats, especially those up for re-election, have already said they would support it or are leaning toward supporting it.
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