WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Andrew Clyde (GA-09) introduced the Commonsense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now (CLEAN) in D.C. Act to repeal the D.C. City Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

 

In 2023, Rep. Clyde introduced legislation, H.J.Res. 42, to block the D.C. Council’s so-called Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. Then-Senator JD Vance (R-OH) led the companion bill in the Senate. While their bill to strike down this anti-police law passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support, President Biden ultimately vetoed the resolution.

 

“Congress must once again exercise our constitutional authority to repeal the D.C. City Council’s anti-police law that has recklessly put criminals first and our men and women in blue last,” said Clyde. “Unlike Joe Biden — who vetoed this commonsense legislation in 2023, President Trump stands for law and order. Sending the CLEAN D.C. Act to President Trump’s desk will further bolster his successful efforts to make our nation’s capital safe again for the American people. I thank Senator Cruz for leading this critical bill in the Senate, and I urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put public safety over politics by supporting our efforts to repeal the D.C. Council’s severely misguided law.”

 

“Violent crime has become endemic in Washington D.C. as a direct result of political and ideological decisions made by Democrats,” said Cruz. “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 CLEAN D.C. Act is endorsed by the D.C. Police Union and the Fraternal Order of Police.

 

“The D.C. Police Union, representing 3,000 dedicated officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), expresses profound gratitude to Congressman Andrew Clyde for his steadfast leadership in introducing legislation in Congress to repeal the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, a misguided and harmful law that has plagued our city's public safety since its enactment,” said D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton. “This new repeal effort is a critical step toward restoring common-sense law enforcement in our Nation's Capital. The Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act has not reformed anything, it has enabled lawlessness, endangered officers and their families, and driven away the very professionals needed to keep D.C. safe. We urge all members of Congress to pass this repeal with the same bipartisan resolve shown in 2023, and we call on the President to sign it into law. Our city cannot afford another day of this failed experiment.”

 

Read the bill text HERE.

 

Original co-sponsors of Rep. Clyde’s CLEAN D.C. Act include (27): Representatives Mark Amodei (NV-02), Aaron Bean (FL-04), Nick Begich (AK-At-Large), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Sheri Biggs (SC-03), Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Eric Burlison (MO-07), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Eli Crane (AZ-02), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Warren Davidson (OH-08), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Brandon Gill (TX-26), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Mary Miller (IL-15), Barry Moore (AL-01), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Andy Ogles (TN-05), Chip Roy (TX-21), Keith Self (TX-03), Pete Stauber (MN-08), and Beth Van Duyne (TX-24). 

 

Background

 

The D.C. Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 weakens D.C. law enforcement by:

 

• Banning longstanding and proven police tactics.

• Stripping legal protections and due process rights for officers.

• Threatening police officer safety by authorizing public release of records.

• Imposing restrictions on policing protests and the use of non-lethal crowd control.

 

Law enforcement leaders have warned that these provisions demoralize officers, worsen D.C.’s law enforcement staffing crisis, and embolden criminals.