Introduction of the District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act, which would repeal the President's authority to federalize the local District of Columbia police department, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). I am very pleased that Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, which has jurisdiction over this bill, is an original cosponsor. The President has no authority to federalize any other local or state police department. Under the Home Rule Act, ``whenever the President . . . determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the [MPD] for Federal purposes, he may direct the Mayor to provide him, and the Mayor shall provide, such services of the [MPD] as the President may deem necessary and appropriate.''

Under the section of the Home Rule Act that would be repealed by this bill, the President may federalize MPD for a period of not more than 30 days, unless a resolution passed by Congress extending such federalization is enacted into law. Congress may also terminate the federalization at any time by enacting a resolution into law. This bill is necessary, even with these protections, because, under the principle of self-government, the President should not have control over the District's local police department.

While it does not appear that a President has exercised this authority over MPD, this latent power is totally unnecessary, should not exist and is an affront to MPD, which has always voluntarily assisted federal authorities. Given the events at Lafayette Square this summer, it is imperative that no President be allowed to federalize MPD. Although President Trump did not federalize MPD this summer, we understand the administration looked into the possibility. MPD's first responsibility is to protect District residents and visitors, and it must always remain under the authority of the D.C. mayor to accomplish its mission. Moreover, federalization is outdated in light of current practice. MPD regularly assists the federal government as a matter of comity and to protect the District, not as an aim of the federal government, just as I am sure other local police departments do in the region. There are approximately 30 federal police departments under the President's control in the District. In the case of a federal emergency, the President can unilaterally deploy these federal officers, as well as the D.C. National Guard, and can also request the support of MPD, as the President would do in any other jurisdiction, and as the Capitol Police did during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

This is an important step to increase home rule for the District, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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