[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 84 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              H.J. Res. 42

  Mr. President, on another matter, as our Nation observes Police Week, 
cities across America continue to grapple with the rising tide of 
violent crime, and our Nation's Capital is certainly no exception. This 
year, Washington has already endured the deadliest first 4 months of 
any year in the last decade. Motor vehicle theft in the District is up 
115 percent from this time last year. And now, the leftwing DC Council 
wants to make the tough job facing the brave men and women of the 
Metropolitan Police even tougher.
  With violent crime spiraling out of control, the council proposed a 
new law that strips police officers of collective bargaining rights, 
makes more of their information available for public harassment, and 
adds new hurdles for the use of force in defending themselves and the 
public. Remember, Congress already had to step in when the council 
tried to go even softer on felony sentencing with another bill earlier 
this year. Even President Biden balked at such a radical measure.
  The latest law, which is already in effect on an emergency basis, has 
had a devastating impact on local law enforcement. The local police 
union reports 1,200 officers have chosen to leave the force since it 
took effect--1,200 officers left the force since this took effect. In a 
city that is facing its worst bout of violent crime in at least a 
decade, the police chief estimates he has fewer officers to fight it 
than at any time since the 1970s.
  To make matters worse, the Department is fighting a losing battle 
against the city's soft-on-crime prosecutions. Last year, Washington's 
U.S. Attorney's Office declined to press charges on--listen to this--on 
two-thirds of the arrests made by the police department. In other 
words, two of every three times an MPD officer risks their safety to 
take a suspect into custody, the suspect walks free.
  No wonder, as Chief Contee reports, the average homicide suspect the 
department encounters already has a rap sheet of 11 previous arrests. 
Leftwing officials in our Nation's Capital are taking a cue from the 
Democrats' approach to border security: catch-and-release--catch-and-
release. It is simply unacceptable.
  This Police Week, the junior Senator from Ohio brought forward a 
resolution to say enough is enough. After a bipartisan vote in the 
House, our colleagues on both sides of the aisle voted yesterday to 
reject--to reject--the DC Council's new law. I am grateful to Senator 
Vance for his leadership, and I am proud to join colleagues in 
continuing to back the blue.