Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 489, I call up the bill (H.R. 2096) to restore the right to negotiate matters pertaining to the discipline of law enforcement officers of the District of Columbia through collective bargaining, to restore the statute of limitations for bringing disciplinary cases against members or civilian employees of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.
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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2096, sponsored by Mr. Garbarino, the Protecting Our Nation's Capital Emergency Act.

The men and women of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department serve the community every day to keep this District safe and secure.

On January 4, 2023, the D.C. Council passed the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022. The act stripped D.C. police officers of certain employee protections, making the job more difficult despite rising crime in the District.

When the D.C. Council passed this law, Congress acted swiftly in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion to overturn it. The House and Senate passed H.J. Res. 42, which would have overturned the entire D.C. law, with 14 House Democrats and 6 Senate Democrats joining Republicans in support of the resolution.

However, then-President Biden vetoed the bipartisan resolution of disapproval, allowing the harmful policies of the D.C. Council to remain in effect today.

In another attempt to protect the D.C. police, Representative Garbarino introduced this bill to repeal certain provisions of D.C.'s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act. That bill passed through the Oversight Committee last Congress in 2024 and was reintroduced this Congress, again, favorably reporting out of the Oversight Committee, but now with the full support of the White House.

H.R. 2096 restores D.C. police officers' right to collectively bargain over disciplinary matters and reinstates clear timelines for disciplinary investigations.

H.R. 2096 also repeals the D.C. Council's requirement that the time and place of some adverse action hearings be posted to a public website.

This public posting requirement enables antipolice activists to harass officers attempting to pursue their due process in the workplace.

In summary, this legislation is necessary to support the recruitment and retention of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Washington, D.C., cannot afford to continue to lose police officers during the ongoing crime crisis in the Nation's Capital city.

My colleagues recognize the importance of supporting the law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect our communities.

By restoring employee protections, this legislation gives the Metropolitan Police Department officers the due process they need to confidently do their job.

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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino), the sponsor of the bill.
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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, before I reserve, I want to make sure that my colleagues across the aisle know what bill we are actually debating on the floor, that the bill that pertains to law enforcement in Washington, D.C. It has nothing to do with their quest to continue to defend the rioters and illegals in California.

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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I note that H.R. 2096 is endorsed by the National Fraternal Order of Police. I strongly encourage each of my House colleagues to support this bill, which will help strengthen law and order in our Nation's Capital City, which is the responsibility of Congress and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Again, I encourage passage of H.R. 2096, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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