Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Andrew Clyde’s (GA-09) resolution of disapproval, H.J.Res. 26, passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support (250 to 173). The resolution blocks the D.C. Council’s dangerous Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 (RCCA).

 

The RCCA would reduce maximum penalties for certain violent criminal offenses, including carjackings, robberies, and even homicides. On January 4th, Washington’s Democrat Mayor, Muriel Bowser, vetoed the legislation — arguing in a letter to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson that the bill “does not make us safer.” The D.C. Council ultimately ignored the Mayor’s concerns, voting 12-1 to override her veto on January 17th. 

 

“Today, the House effectively utilized its constitutional authority to save our nation’s capital from itself by passing my resolution of disapproval to block the D.C. Council’s radical rewrite of Washington’s criminal code,” said Clyde. “If enacted, the Council’s dangerous legislation will embolden violent criminals — threatening the well-being of both Washingtonians and visitors at a time of heightened crime in our nation’s capital. My resolution sends a clear message to the Senate, the White House, and the American people that the People’s House rejects soft-on-crime policies that jeopardize Americans’ safety and security. I thank my colleagues for supporting and passing this commonsense resolution in order to ensure all Americans can safely enjoy our nation’s capital city.”

 

Prior to the vote, Rep. Clyde urged his colleagues to support his resolution: “Combating crime is not a conservative or liberal objective…it is a commonsense one.”

 

Watch his full remarks HERE.

This week, Rep. Clyde and Sen. Hagerty (R-TN), who is leading the resolution in the Senate, penned a letter to the editor in The Washington Post explaining why the two lawmakers are leading the effort to block the D.C. Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act in Congress. Read the full piece HERE.

 

Supporting organizations of Rep. Clyde’s H.J.Res. 26 include: the D.C. Police Union, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National Fraternal Order of Police, FreedomWorks, National Association of Police Organizations, Heritage Action, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association.