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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Washington, June 10, 2025
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor today:
 
Supporting D.C. Police Officers and Protecting Our Capital

As crime skyrocketed in our nation’s capital, Democrats went after the police working to protect the community instead of the criminals. Local Washington officials imposed policies to strip police officers of due process and collective bargaining rights, leading to increased crime and low recruitment and retention for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

The D.C. Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 gives more power to anti-police activists, allows individual police officers to be targeted by protestors, and strips officers of collective bargaining rights regarding discipline. 

Under the D.C. Council’s emergency legislative powers, these harmful and out-of-touch policies have been in place since 2020; meanwhile, D.C. police staffing reached the half-century low as homicides rose. In 2023, D.C. saw violent crime surge by 40 percent and experienced its deadliest year in more than 20 years. 

D.C.’s police officers shouldn’t have to decide between keeping our capital safe with no support or protecting themselves. The best way to ensure residents of and visitors to our nation’s capital can explore D.C. safely is to invest in the Metropolitan Police Department and make sure they have the resources and support necessary to keep crime off the streets – not antagonize them and take away their rights.

Congress has a duty to oversee the governance of D.C. and make sure the MPD has what they need to effectively fight crime and keep Washingtonians and visitors safe. House Republicans are bringing legislation to make sure our men and women in blue feel supported by restoring fairness in the disciplinary process. 

Rep. Andrew Garbarino’s legislation, H.R. 2096, the Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act, restores two provisions supporting law enforcement recently removed by the D.C. Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 – specifically, collective bargaining rights for MPD officers and a statute of limitations on disciplinary cases – so D.C.’s law enforcement can be better supported as they fight to keep our capital safe.

D.C. can’t afford to lose more good police officers – House Republicans will always stand with our men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe. Who will Democrats stand with: the police or the criminals? 
 
Preventing Illegal Aliens from Voting in U.S. Elections

On November 21, 2022, the D.C. Council voted to disregard federal law and enact a bill that allows noncitizens, including illegal immigrants, to vote in D.C. local elections. The bill, the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act, disenfranchises American citizens and could have a ripple effect across other large U.S. cities. 

To add insult to injury, this legislation makes no exception for foreign nationals or diplomats voting in D.C. elections. This means that representatives from other countries, including agents of the Chinese Communist Party, could potentially vote in D.C. elections, even though their interests are often separate or opposed to American interests.

This D.C. law is unjust and against federal law, minimizing the voice of American citizens by diluting their votes with votes from foreign diplomats and illegal immigrants. Even Democrats realize the absurdity of this law – D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser withheld her signature on the bill, expressing her opposition, and the Washington Post Editorial Board published an article on their stance against this legislation.

In February 2023, House Republicans, along with 42 Democrats, passed a resolution to overturn the D.C. Council’s bill to allow illegal immigrants to vote: H.J. Res. 24. Despite bipartisan support, Senate Democrats refused to take up the legislation and the law has gone into effect. Additionally, last Congress, House Republicans passed H.R. 192 to repeal the harmful legislation with bipartisan support – but again, the Democrat Senate refused to consider it.

It’s common sense: only American citizens should be able to vote in U.S. elections, as is dictated by federal law.

Rep. August Pfluger’s legislation, H.R. 884, repeals the D.C. Council’s Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 and prevents individuals who are not United States citizens from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.

Once again, House Republicans are fighting to keep illegal immigrants and foreign diplomats out of U.S. elections.