D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) cautioned about the ramifications of congressional "meddling" in the wake of the Republican-backed plan to overturn a city crime bill.
Late last week, President Joe Biden revealed he would not veto the Republican-led intervention, paving the way for Congress to override D.C. legislation for the first time in 32 years. Bowser opposed the crime bill but warned that a congressional overturn could endanger the city's "home rule."
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“I will never say that we want the Congress meddling in the affairs of the District of Columbia," Bowser told Meet the Press NOW. "That’s a slippery slope, again, that we endure not just with bills like this. We have a lot of issues to overcome with limited home rule."
Bowser had vetoed the city crime bill, which clawed back mandatory minimums and other penalties for criminal conduct but was overridden by the city council. A Republican-backed bill cleared the House last week to nix the law.
Under the Home Rule Act, Washington, D.C., is permitted to operate as an independent city, with its laws subject to congressional approval. Bowser has long advocated statehood.
“Unfortunately, we live with the indignity of limited home rule in this in the District of Columbia. We’re taxpaying Americans. We’re in the shadow of the Capitol, but we don’t have two senators. We don’t have a vote. And we’ve been working for decades to change that. And until we become a state, we live with this process,” Bowser added.
The Senate is expected to vote on the measure this week, but already some Democrats, such as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), have signaled they will back it. Last month, the White House affirmed its support for Washington, D.C., statehood, which was widely interpreted as a commitment not to intervene.
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Biden has been under pressure from Republicans over crime as he gears up to launch his 2024 campaign, an announcement rumored to come in April.
"I support D.C. Statehood and home-rule — but I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor’s objections — such as lowering penalties for carjackings," Biden tweeted. "If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did — I’ll sign it."