Andy Biggs Rips Into DC Council For Pushing 'Progressive Policies That Make Everyone In DC Unsafe'

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During remarks on the House floor last week, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) spoke in favor of the DC Crimes Act.  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript   Stay Connected Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00 I'm going to yield five minutes to the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Biggs.

00:03 Mr. McEnany. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding to me.

00:08 And I just before I get into the the nub, I'll just respond to a couple things. So

00:13 the baseline, the reason that you come down 16 percent or you can come down 16 percent and still

00:20 have rapid, rabid crime is because you were so high the years before and they were. Washington,

00:27 D.C. was. We know it. You know it. Everybody knows it. And I would also suggest that my friend from

00:35 Florida is correct. The D.C. Council had not taken action that they needed to take. In fact,

00:42 they'd gone the other way and only recently were converted after the Congress put its pressure on

00:48 them to make changes. And that, by the way, that was bipartisan pressure. But somehow we're now

00:54 told that's that's improper now. So I rise in support of the bill, H.R. 7530, the D.C. Crimes

01:01 Act, which takes necessary steps to improve public safety in our nation's capital for its residents

01:05 and for our constituents. As violent crime skyrockets and D.C. police officer ranks continue

01:11 to dwindle, the D.C. Council continues to push progressive policies that make everyone in D.C.

01:17 unsafe. Their inaction has endangered residents of and visitors to our nation's capital, which is

01:23 why in twenty twenty two, when the D.C. Council passed the revised Criminal Code Act of twenty

01:28 twenty two, I think we were all shocked. The bill eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for all

01:35 crimes except first degree murder, eliminated life sentences and reduced maximum penalties

01:39 for violent crime. So what what whipsawed them back in just about an 18 month period?

01:45 I would suggest to you respectfully it was because Congress was exercising its constitutional

01:51 oversight authority over the District of Columbia and that persuaded the council that they were in

02:00 the eye and being watched by Congress and their residents were also unhappy.

02:07 Now, I'm going to have to suggest respectfully that it wasn't the D.C. Council response and

02:12 responding to crime across America and quote, not just in D.C. close quote, which is an ironic

02:19 argument to make, quite frankly, when you're claiming that Congress has no authority, but we

02:22 have constitutional authority, but to oversee the actions of D.C. But the reality is they were the

02:29 council was responding to oversight that is authorized by the Constitution. And so Congress

02:38 responded by blocking the reckless D.C. Act from taking effect by advancing the bipartisan H.J.

02:44 Res. 26 into law. Response, D.C. Council then passed another bill, the Comprehensive Policing

02:50 and Justice Reform Amendment, which targeted D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officers

02:56 and their ability to combat rising crime. Congress attempted to block this act with H.J. Res. 42,

03:02 but President Biden vetoed the bipartisan disapproval resolution ensuring D.C.'s

03:07 anti-police reforms went into effect. Result, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department has lost over

03:13 1,200 members since 2020 and staffing remains at the lowest level in 50 years, with officers

03:19 often citing the D.C. Council's restrictive laws as their reasons for leaving. In a hearing last

03:25 year, former D.C. Police Chief Conti noted that MPD needed an additional 800 officers to be fully

03:30 staffed. As a result of the council's continued soft on crime agenda, crime in D.C. has increased

03:38 30% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Homicides were up 29% over 2022, and homicides

03:44 doubled since 2012, which is why when my colleague across the aisle begins saying they're down 16%

03:52 in 2024, why do you think that is? Well, because you had records in 2023, and now you're beginning

03:58 to take this seriously because Congress is acting, because Congress is acting. Violent crime increased

04:04 by 37% from 2022 to 2023, with robberies rising 65%. Motor vehicle thefts increased by 107%

04:13 in 2023 compared to 2022. Congressman Donald's bill ensures that Congress is fulfilling its

04:20 constitutional responsibility to oversee the district by lowering D.C.'s definition of youth

04:25 to 18 and prohibiting D.C. from enacting new soft on crime sentencing changes in the future,

04:31 which they no doubt will once Congress averts its eye from D.C. But if we enact Congressman

04:41 Donald's bill, they will not be able to revert to their soft on crime ways, which has made D.C.

04:47 unsafe for people who come to visit, the millions of people who want to come and visit here,

04:51 and for the residents of this city. I urge the passage of this bill, and I yield back.

04:57 >> Reserved.

04:58 >> Gentleman reserves, gentleman from.

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