Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4922 - DC CRIMES Act, H.R. 5125 - District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act, H.R. 5140 - District of Columbia Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act & H.R. 5143 - District of Columbia Policing Protection Act

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

H.R. 4922-DC CRIMES Act
(House)
(Rep. Donalds, R-FL, and eight cosponsors)

H.R. 5125-District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act
(House)
(Rep. Sessions, R-TX, and Rep. Higgins, R-LA)

H.R. 5140-District of Columbia Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act
(House)
(Rep. Gill, R-TX, and four cosponsors)

H.R. 5143-District of Columbia Policing Protection Act
(House)
(Rep. Higgins, R-LA, and two cosponsors)

The Administration strongly supports passage of H.R. 4922, the D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe (DC CRIMES) Act, H.R. 5125, District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act, H.R. 5140, District of Columbia Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, and H.R. 5143, District of Columbia Policing Protection Act. After the President's successful efforts to quell crime and enforce law and order in the Federal capital, it is time to enhance these efforts by enacting these bills into law.

H.R. 4922 would amend the Code of the District of Columbia (D.C. Code), to reduce the maximum age that a criminal can be sentenced as a youth offender from 24 years to 18 years. The bill would also require the D.C. Attorney General to establish a website on juvenile crime in D.C., allowing the public to be better informed about the safety of our capital city. It would also prohibit the D.C. Council from enacting changes to existing criminal liability sentences, thereby preventing the enactment of soft-on-crime sentencing policies that enable repeat offenses. H.R. 5140 would similarly allow individuals at fourteen years of age to be charged as an adult for violent offenses that include murder and armed robbery. This bill would be a critical step to bring more accountability in a city where more than fifty percent of carjackings are committed by minors.

H.R. 5143 would ensure that police officers have the ability to pursue criminals in the event of a suspect fleeing by motor vehicle. Under the D.C. Code, officers may only engage in vehicular pursuit if the suspect has committed a crime of violence or is an imminent threat. These unnecessary restrictions ensure that many criminals get away without punishment and police officers are unable to perform their duties to protect the public. This bill would change that policy and allow officers to pursue any suspect by motor vehicle if they deem it necessary and the most effective means to capture the suspect.

H.R. 5125 would terminate the District of Columbia's Judicial Nomination Commission, recognizing the President's rightful authority to nominate judges at his own discretion rather than nominating judges picked from a list created by radical left-wing commissioners.

Together, these four bills would advance the President's law and order agenda in Washington, D.C. Citizens, tourists, and visitors are no longer afraid to dine and enjoy the scenery of America's Federal city. By enacting these bills, criminals will be held accountable and police officers will be empowered with the resources necessary to ensure safety.

If H.R. 4922, H.R. 5125, H.R. 5140, and H.R. 5143 were presented to the President in their current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign them into law.