Disapproving the Action of the District of Columbia Council in Approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. VANCE. Mr. President, I speak today on behalf of millions of Americans who come to Washington, DC, and want this to be a safe city where they can enjoy it, where they can view the beautiful monuments, and where they can actually live in this city comfortably and in safety.

I speak for the staff members who have seen this city deteriorate over the last decade, and I speak for the many people who have no connection to this city but want it to be a beautiful and safe place to live and work because this is where the people's business is ultimately done.

A very simple problem that we have is the DC violent crime rate and the nonviolent crime rate have gone up way too quickly, in part because the DC Council has passed a number of statutes and a number of laws that make it harder for police officers to do their job.

I will not go through the laundry list of the act that we are dealing with here today and the number of ways in which it makes police less safe in doing their job and makes it more difficult for them to do their jobs in the first place, but a few things in particular jump out. First of all, the law that we are trying to undo bans or severely restricts ordinary law enforcement practices, including the use of riot gear to disperse violent crowds; it makes it harder for police to actually give chase to violent offenders; and it also forces police to go through these ridiculous exhaustion requirements before they can use lethal force to protect themselves and people around them.

This is why a number of DC police officers and organizations don't agree with this act. It is why they think that it makes them less safe, and it is why we have to go in a different direction in this community.

I will close by saying that whether you are a Democrat or a Republican--whatever your politics are--we should be proud of this incredibly beautiful city. The people sent us here to do a job; they sent us here to do that job proudly; and it is hard to do it if we are surrounded by crime and we are surrounded by lawlessness.

I want this to be the kind of place where Ohioans can come and visit, where they can walk the streets with their children without fear of their personal safety; and, unfortunately, DC is going in the wrong direction.
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