Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Andrew Clyde (GA-09) and Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) introduced a joint resolution of disapproval to strike down the D.C. Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022.

The Council first passed the emergency “police reform” bill in the wake of anti-police protests during the summer of 2020. This new permanent legislation includes additional policing provisions that were introduced over the last two years.

Amidst rising crime in Washington, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has faced a mass exodus of police officers and has struggled to recruit new officers — resulting in a historic staffing shortage. Since January 2020, the MPD has lost more than 1,100 officers and is currently operating in an officer deficit. 

“As the Metropolitan Police Department grapples with the District’s ongoing crime crisis amidst a historic staff shortage, the D.C. Council is determined to enact a deeply flawed bill that prevents officers from effectively protecting and serving Americans in Washington,” said Clyde. “Alarmingly, this misguided law will inevitably jeopardize the MPD’s ongoing efforts to recruit and retain officers — worsening an already serious problem. Now that Congress has effectively used its constitutional authority to strike down the D.C. Council’s dangerous Revised Criminal Code Act, we must now move to swiftly block this anti-police measure to ensure our nation’s capital city is safe for all Americans.”

“For years Democrats in Washington and New York have vilified law enforcement — gutting morale, enacting policies that prevent officers from effectively doing their jobs, and inciting violent anti-police sentiment. Dedicated public servants are resigning in record numbers due to the current policing environment with very few willing to take their place. This Joint Resolution would disapprove of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 which was passed by the D.C. Council in defiance of very real safety concerns raised by law enforcement. It’s time to say enough is enough and push back on the anti-police narrative, starting here in our nation’s capital,” said Garbarino.

“The introduction of this new House Joint Resolution is necessary to protect public safety in our Nation’s Capital,” said D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton. “This Act is a dangerous law that destroys collective bargaining rights of MPD police officers, eviscerates due process, reduces less-lethal options for law enforcement during a riot, and further contributes to the critical staffing crisis that is plaguing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) today. This Act is laced with bad policies with real-world consequences that delay justice for families and victims.”

Read the Daily Caller’s exclusive on the legislation HERE. 

Full bill text is available HERE.

Original co-sponsors include Representatives Buddy Carter (GA-01), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Kevin Hern (OK-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Darrell Issa (CA-48), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Jake LaTurner (KS-02), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Daniel Webster (FL-11), Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Rudy Yakym (IN-02).