In 1973, Congress passed the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which expanded the District’s municipal authority, although Congress can still override some of the District government’s actions.
That hasn’t always worked out so well. The District is now a big, bubbling crock pot full of crime, with carjackings and robberies disturbingly common. Now, with the GOP (narrowly) holding the House, the Senate and the White House, one Congressman, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) is attempting to overturn the District’s home rule.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) is planning to introduce legislation next year that would undo Washington’s local autonomy, instead requiring every local law to be approved by Congress before it can be enacted. Clyde has previously attempted to repeal the D.C.’s Home Rule but those efforts have largely been unsuccessful due to Democratic opposition in the Senate and White House.
But now, with a GOP trifecta heading into the new year, Clyde is looking to try again.
“When home rule was created in 1973, it was: ‘OK, whatever the city passes is approved and Congress has a limited amount of time to disapprove it,’” Clyde told the Daily Caller. “That’s backwards.”
That’s something of an understatement. But the District is organized the way it is for a reason; it’s intended to be the seat of the national government, and not contained within or a part of any one state.
When the District was set up, though, the founders clearly didn’t anticipate modern urban progressive politicians and revolving-door justice systems.
Although Washington is not a state nor part of one, the district is allowed to operate as an independent local government through the D.C. Home Rule Act, which was enacted in 1973 to give it some control over its own legislative affairs. The only caveat is that all laws are subject to congressional approval before being enacted, giving members of Congress outsize influence over the 68-square-mile jurisdiction.
That caveat was seen in action last year when Clyde introduced a bill to overturn the district’s revised criminal code that was passed by the D.C. Council. The revised code sought to clarify the district’s crime laws and, in some cases, reduce the penalties for violent crimes such as carjackings and homicide.
Look, if there’s one place in the nation where the citizens – and any citizens – should be able to walk the streets confident of their safety, at any hour of day or night, it should be the nation’s capital. That’s clearly not the case now.
See Related:
First Ever Nativity in US History Displayed at the Capitol
So, assuming that Congress does strike the District’s home rule – how, then, can they get the streets under control? That’s a bit of a sticky problem. It would be tempting to organize something along the lines of the Swiss Vatican guards who guard the Pope, but any such group would have to come from the nation’s law enforcement and military members, and that smacks just a little too much of a reincarnation of the old Praetorian Guards of Rome.
They could, however, try catching crooks and locking them up. Just a thought. And we do, after all, have a national law enforcement arm that’s been around for a long time, that being the U.S. Marshals.
Whatever happens, the status quo in the District clearly isn’t acceptable. Maybe it’s time to try something different.
Please consider upgrading to a VIP account for more up-to-date news on politicians, appointed officials, and their shenanigans. VIP status will open a plethora of stories and podcasts here at RedState. And remember that a Gold-level account gets you access to all of our sister sites in Townhall Media: PJ Media, Twitchy, Hot Air, Bearing Arms, and Townhall.com, while the Platinum level gets you all that plus access to a catalog of feature-length films, and a credit to the new Townhall store. Use promo code SAVEAMERICA for a 50% discount.
