Van Hollen, Norton File Bills to Grant D.C. Full Control Over Its National Guard, Police

This week, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) reintroduced their legislation to grant the District of Columbia full control over the D.C. National Guard and the Metropolitan Police Department, as the Trump Administration has asserted federal control over the D.C. police department and kept its National Guard deployed in City streets for weeks. The formal introduction of these bills comes after the lawmakers announced in August their intention to do so in response to President Trump's federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of the National Guard. The urgent need for these measures has only grown as the Administration reportedly has extended the D.C. National Guard's deployment through November 30 and Congressional Republicans plan more attacks on the District of Columbia's self-governance.

"In a raw power grab, Donald Trump has overtaken D.C.'s police and brought in the National Guard to satisfy his desire to play dictator in our nation's capital. As he looks to extend his authoritarian control over D.C., it is urgent that we act now to ensure the District's leaders have the same authority over its National Guard and police force as other states and territories - while we continue to fight for D.C. statehood. If Trump and Republicans actually cared about the people of D.C. and their safety, they'd get out of the way of D.C.'s leaders and residents and allow them to manage the District and their own funds. Trump and Republicans' continued withholding of over $1 billion of those funds is unacceptable," said Senator Van Hollen. The Senator introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to unlock the over $1 billion of D.C.'s own funds that Republicans unnecessarily froze through their funding bill in March. Their bill passed the Senate unanimously, but House Republicans have still not brought it up for a vote - preventing D.C. from investing further in strengthening policing and other vital public services.

"D.C. residents are Americans, fully capable of governing themselves, including having full control of their police force and National Guard like residents of the states," Congresswoman Norton said. "President Trump's unprecedented federalization of the D.C. Police and his activation of the D.C. National Guard without D.C.'s consent underscore the necessity of D.C. statehood. Until we get the full protections that statehood would provide, our bills repealing the president's authority to federalize the local D.C. police department and to give D.C.'s mayor control over the D.C. National Guard, like governors of states have over their National Guards, would place D.C. closer to having control over some of its most vital affairs and equality with the states, as we deserve. Senator Van Hollen, thank you for being D.C.'s determined partner in the Senate and a vigorous advocate for D.C. home rule."

The District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act would repeal the provision in the Home Rule Act that gives the President the authority to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department. The Home Rule Act provides that, "whenever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes, he may direct the mayor to provide him, and the mayor shall provide, such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate." This bill is cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

The District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act would name the Mayor of Washington, D.C. as Commander-in-Chief of the D.C. National Guard, giving the Mayor the same control over the D.C. National Guard that the governors of the states and the three territories with National Guards have over their respective National Guards. Under current law, the President is Commander-in-Chief of the D.C. National Guard. This bill is cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and co-led in the House by U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).