Turnabout And Fallout
Earlier this week, we discussed a move last November by the Washington, D.C. governing council to reduce punishments for certain crimes and how that might be overturned by Congress. Our talk focused on the White House’s opposition to the bill and how it might lead to the first presidential veto of the Biden Administration.
In a move POLITICO is calling choosing politics over principals, the president yesterday told Senate Democrats—and later tweeted–that he would sign the bill if passed. It’s already through the House, and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin flipping to the GOP side on this issue gave it enough Senate votes to pass.
Democrats cry mightily for statehood for D.C. and say the District should govern itself without the federal government intervening; that’s the stand most Democrats took in the house in voting against this bill. The president’s flip angered many of them.
“Democrats seethe over Biden’s crime reform betrayal,” the story headline reads.
One House Democrat called the issue “amateur hour” at the White House…with a rather colorful adjective to go along with it, also suggesting “heads should roll over at the White House over this.”
A D.C. councilmember said it was another example of the district being “seen and treated as a colony.”
With the coast being clear to support the measure, it’s now expected many Senate Democrats will vote for the bill, making it hardly a close call.
It’s worth noting that the penalty reduction measure was passed last November…and so far this year, homicides in the nation’s capital are up 37 percent, and auto thefts up a whopping 111 percent.
Democrat carping about being betrayed notwithstanding, it’s suggested that this move is another example that the Biden team is in full re-election mode, making it clear that criticism from the political right over increases in crime is a weak spot for Democrats…so the party should not look soft on crime, even if it means going against one of their main points on self-governance and D.C. statehood.
