Norton Statement on House Committee on Natural Resources Passage of the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a statement after the House Committee on Natural Resources passed the anti-D.C. bill, the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act (H.R. 5103), which would undermine D.C.'s autonomy by codifying parts of President Trump's executive order of the same name into law, including creating a so-called "District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission." The commission would, amongst other things, drastically increase the enforcement of Federal immigration law in the District and review D.C. laws and policies.

"In a time where agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement are terrorizing communities across the nation with their extreme tactics, this bill would further enhance these tactics in D.C. by redirecting law enforcement resources on all levels to deport individuals and separate families," Norton said. "This bill and the executive order that preceded it were born out of flawed data that states that D.C.'s crime rate is at an all-time high, when in reality, violent crime was down 35% in 2024 and overall violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low, according to statistics released by the Department of Justice.

"One of the more insulting aspects of this paternalistic bill is that the proposed 'District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission' would not even be required to have D.C. officials on it. Let me be clear: Republican members of Congress, who are not accountable to D.C., have no business dictating the local laws of a city where 700,000 people live, work, and have chosen their own leaders through the democratic process. If Republicans truly cared about making D.C. safe and beautiful, then they would fully fund the National Park Service, which maintains over 90% of D.C.'s park land, and has lost a quarter of their staff."

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