U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other Republican senators in introducing the Common-Sense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now (CLEAN) D.C. Act. The bill aims to repeal certain policing restrictions enacted by the Washington, D.C., City Council under the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.
Senator Lee said, “For too long, Congress has failed to keep D.C. safe and allowed corrupt local officials to prioritize politics over people’s lives. The CLEAN D.C. Act is a step in the right direction as Congress reasserts its constitutional duty to safeguard D.C.”
Senator Cruz commented on the rise in violent crime in Washington, stating, “Violent crime has become endemic in Washington DC as a direct result of political and ideological decisions made by Democrats. Those decisions included passing and trying to lock in anti-police measures such as the Orwellian-named Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, which undermined police morale, weakened officer retention, and contributed to a still-ongoing public safety disaster. The CLEAN D.C. Act will reverse that decision, and I call upon my colleagues in Congress to pass it.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Jim Risch (R-ID), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), with Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA) introducing companion legislation in the House.
“For far too long, our nation’s capital has been plagued by rampant crime and unsafe streets,” said Senator Ted Budd. “I am proud to join Senator Cruz and my colleagues in reaffirming Congressional authority to implement common-sense policing measures in Washington, D.C., to support the President’s agenda — putting safety first.”
Senator John Cornyn stated, “For years, the radical liberals on the D.C. Council in Washington have turned their backs on the blue by ushering in new laws and regulations that handicap law enforcement’s ability to do their jobs, spurring rampant, violent crime across our nation’s capital. This legislation would repeal one of these harmful laws that unfairly targeted police by restricting their ability to pursue a fleeing target or stop a violent protest so our brave law enforcement officers can once again feel empowered to make D.C. safe for all.”
Senator Jim Risch added perspective from his home state: “Idaho serves as a model of low crime and safe streets, while Washington, DC’s crime and threats to public safety required President Trump’s intervention to bring law and order. The CLEAN DC Act will ensure law enforcement can continue to support the President’s efforts to prioritize the safety of all Americans in our nation’s capital.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville also expressed his support: “Washington, D.C. is the capital of the free world – instead of being a shining example to metro areas across the globe, it has become a cesspool for criminals and illegals to get away with violent crime. The D.C. police should have every tool in the toolkit to enforce the law and fight crime. We owe it to them, along with the millions of people who live, work, and visit D.C. every year, to keep this city safe. I’m proud to join this legislation with Senator Cruz to remove red tape that’s preventing our police officers from being able to do their jobs. Keeping people safe and locking the bad guys up is common sense and I hope my colleagues can get off their high horse and vote for the wellbeing of our nation’s capital.”
Representative Andrew Clyde called for Congressional action: “Congress must once again exercise our constitutional authority to repeal the D.C. City Council’s anti-police law that has recklessly put criminals first and our men and women in blue last,” he said.“Unlike Joe Biden — who vetoed this commonsense legislation in 2023, President Trump stands for law and order. Sending the CLEAN DC Act to President Trump’s desk will further bolster his successful efforts to make our nation’s capital safe again for the American people.I thank Senator Cruz for leading this critical bill in the Senate,and I urge our colleagues on both sides ofthe aisleto put public safety over politics by supportingour effortsto repealth eD .C .Council ’s severely misguidedlaw.”
The bill has received endorsements from both major local police organizations.
Gregg Pemberton,the Chairmanof th eD .C .Police Union ,said,“TheD .C .PoliceUnion ,representing3 ,000 dedicatedofficersoftheMetropolitanPoliceDepartment(MPD ),expressesprofoundgratitudeToSenatorTedCru zforhissteadfastleadershipinintroducinglegislationtorepealtheComprehensivePolicingandJusticeReformAct ,amisguidedandharmfullawthathasplaguedourcity ‘spublicsafetysinceitsenactment.Thisnewrepealeffortisacriticalsteptowardrestoringcommon-senselawenforcementinourNation’sCapital.TheComprehensivePolicingandJusticeReformActhasnotreformedanything,it hasenabledlawlessness,endangeredofficersandtheirfamilies,anddrivenawaytheveryprofessionalsneededtokeepD .C .safe.WeurgeallSenatorstopassthisrepealwiththesamebipartisanresolve shownin2023,andwecallonthePresidenttosignitintolaw.Ourcitycannotaffordanotherdayofthisfailedexperiment.”
Cosponsoring this bill aligns with Senator Lee’s continued efforts related tothe governanceofWashington,D .C .,includingpreviousbillsaddressingoversight,votingby non-citizens,andgovernmenttransparencyintheDistrict.
In 2023,Congresspassedmeasuresblockingthepolicereforms,butPresidentBidenvetoedtheresolution,andtheveto wassustainedbyDemocrats.Th erepealedpolicereformsimposedrestrictionsonlawenforcementtechniques,strippedlegalprotectionsfromofficers,madecertainrecordspubliclyavailable,andlimitedcrowdcontrolmeasures.Accordingtopoliceleaders,suchchangeshaveimpactedstaffingmoraleandpublicsafetyintheDistrict.
