House Approves Bill To Lower Youth Offender Age In Washington, DC

The House passed legislation Tuesday that will change how a youth offender in the nation’s capital will be prosecuted, signaling congressional support behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on crime in Washington, D.C.

One key change would lower the age of a youth offender in Washington from 24 to 18 in the “DC Crimes Act.” The legislation would also require that criminal sentencing be at least as long as the mandatory minimums for adults, and make it compulsory for the D.C. attorney general to establish a public website that publishes youth criminal statistics.

The bill passed 240-179, with 20 Democrats siding with their Republican colleagues.

A second bill, known as the D.C. Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, was passed by a narrower margin. Eight Democrats backed the legislation, and only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against it. He opposed both bills.

Youth or Government? Critics Argue Congress Has Too Much Control in Washington, D.C.

This latest move from congressional Republicans comes as President Trump called on National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C. While the Home Rule Act of 1973 allows residents to elect their own mayor and city council, the U.S. Congress and the President retain significant oversight.

Some Democrats have vocalized that Trump and his aides are abusing their power by intervening in a city’s ability to govern local affairs.

“[Trump] is constantly attacking what Republicans used to call a small government and deciding to be the biggest government that you can find. It’s truly shameful,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

According to the Associated Press, the House is expected to take up two more bills related to criminal justice in Washington, D.C. The legislation calling for changes will still need to be passed in the Senate.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 240 national civil and human rights advocacy organizations, opposes all four bills Congress plans to vote on regarding criminal justice reform in D.C.

“Together, these bills represent yet another needless intrusion into D.C. local government, and yet another attack on the political power of a majority minority population,” Maya Wiley, CEO and president, wrote in an advocacy letter to Congressional representatives.

She continues, “Congress would be moving quickly to expand D.C.’s resources … by restoring the more than $1 billion that Congress inexplicably forced D.C. to slash from its locally-funded budget earlier this year. Instead, it is simply micromanaging a handful of policies with no meaningful input from the people who live here full-time.”