We compel you not to
interfere in our matters.
This is a letter signed by all
12 DC Council members on Sunday.
It was sent to the Speaker of the
House and the Minority Leader of the
House addressing these concerns about
two bills that are in Congress right
now that the House wants to pass
resolutions of disapproval over ward one.
Council member,
Brianna Doe is with us tonight.
So, Council member,
what is the message that you're trying
to send to members of the House?
Hands off DC we are duly elected
officials in the District of
Columbia who have passed these
laws on behalf of our constituents,
and there is nobody who has the ability
to vote on this in Congress that
was elected by us or represents us.
I've heard criticism by members of
the GOP saying somehow they think the
Criminal Code Act would actually serve
to increase crime in the district,
and they've literally gone so far as to
accuse the DC City Council of wanting.
To increase crime, I I know you've heard
this argument and these statements.
What's your reaction?
But that's ludicrous but not shocking.
Congress will go to any lengths at
this point to undermine the laws of the
District of Columbia because they can.
That's one of the reasons we need statehood.
But where were they when, you know,
all the other states across the
country modernized their penal codes?
DC is unfortunately not in the lead on this.
We have been working for 16 years
to update our Criminal Code and
now we are finally aligned with
states across the country.
But you didn't hear these
same members of Congress.
Criticizing those states,
I wonder why this is worth your time.
Why is it worth putting the
energy into having this back
and forth between the Council,
between DC and the House,
when we know full well that
there are not sixty votes in the
Senate for this President?
Biden will never sign it,
so why engage?
It's important for us to stand up
for the District of Columbia and
remind Americans all across the
country that the reason this happens
is because we are not a state.
Congress can interfere in the
business of the people of the
District of Columbia at any time,
and they seem to do so when they
find it politically advantageous.
It's despicable.
So it's always worth standing up
for what's right in my opinion,
and in this case,
the leaders of the district
government are standing together.
And finally, Council member,
your reaction to the amendments
that Mayor Bowser has proposed?
Day to the Criminal Code Act.
I look forward to considering them
when they come to the Council,
but right now, we're focused on
getting Congress to stand down.
Gotcha. Ward one.
Councilmember Brianne Nadeau
with us tonight. Council member,
thank you so much for your time.
Thank you, Adam.
Live video here of the US Capitol.
Just within the past 60 seconds,
the House Rules Committee has adjourned
after hearing testimony about DC's
two new laws that are up for debate,
the revised Criminal Code Act and the local
resident voting Rights Amendment Act.
2 resolutions of disapproval
are expected to pass out of
that committee and hit the House
floor for a vote later this week.
Let's invite in Republican
Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas
to continue this conversation.
He's chairman of the House Oversight
Subcommittee on Government Operations in
the federal workforce and a Co sponsor.
Of the bills that would void DC's new law.
So, Congressman,
thank you so much for joining us.
I know you've spent a lot of time in DC,
not just as a member of Congress,
but as a resident as well.
Do you believe that DC is not
capable of handling its own affairs?
I don't know if it's a matter of handling
your own affairs so much as it is the
impact that it has on the entire area,
including hundreds of members of Congress,
some 535 members of Congress,
including the Senate,
who are here in this area, the.
The 25 years that I have served have seen
an increase in not just necessarily police,
that are required to defend ourself
and keep it safe on the hill.
From many laws that are passed,
I I do believe that that DC has a right.
To pass many of its own things.
But when there are things which are not,
in our opinion,
consistent with a properly of a capital city,
then we do need to speak up.
When we had crack dealers across the
street in the White House and those
darn Republicans took a strong stand
against selling crack just right
across the street from the White House,
we understood it was OK for Bill
Clinton to be able to allow that.
To happen.
And when Democrats were there,
but not Republicans,
we have now seen that what has happened
as a result of this discussion,
crime is up.
Not only carjackings,
but other crime that takes place
so that you become a haven for
not only criminal activity,
but you've made it easier for crimes
criminals to have a revolving door.
There's a problem.
I need to get you to react
to something real quick.
We heard from the DC Council chair
earlier today making some comments.
Let's listen to this and I'd like you
to comment on the back end. Reasonably
certain that no member of the House
of Representatives of the United
States of America has read the bill.
And they don't know what's in that bill.
And so all we're getting is
really political rhetoric.
And have you read the Criminal Code Act?
In fact, what I have is I
have been briefed on it.
As the subcommittee chairman,
we carefully understood that,
as the Council Member said,
this chief felt like this was
consistent with what many other.
Democrat controlled cities have done some,
some have done this,
others have decided not to.
When you decriminalize virtually every single
kind of what is a felony except for murder,
what you do is you get more of it.
You create a revolving door,
and so you get more of it.
And we have learned a long time ago that
crimes are committed by a few people.
On a few people.
But it's devastating to those
people when it goes up 17%.
That's a problem,
congressman, as always,
I wish we had more time to delve
deeper into this discussion.
We're going to have to end it there.
Congressman Pete Sessions,
Republican of Texas. Thank you.