President Donald Trump’s emergency order over Washington—which federalized the city’s police force and sent a surge of law enforcement into the capital—expired at midnight.
But Republicans aren’t finished just yet.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee opened debate on more than a dozen bills that would strip even more power from Washington if passed. One measure would remove the city’s democratically elected attorney general, who recently asked a judge to intervene in the federal takeover. Another would let the president appoint the position himself—a dangerous prospect under Trump, who has repeatedly filled key roles with loyalists willing to carry out his unlawful agenda.
Other proposals would lower the age at which minors can be tried as adults from 16 to 14, overhaul the bail system, and curb the city council’s ability to extend emergency legislation.
It’s not clear how many of these bills will become law. Even if they clear the narrowly GOP-controlled House, they still have to get through the Senate. And according to The Associated Press, Washington activists are already lobbying Senate Democrats to block them.
Still, Trump’s order and the GOP’s new legislative push highlight how much power Congress and the White House hold over the capital—and just how fragile the city’s home rule really is.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has warned that “laws affecting the district should be made by the district,” urging the House committee to reject the proposals.
Washington Attorney General Brian Schwalb echoed her concerns, saying that the bills would “displace the ability of District residents to have a voice in the selection of local leaders” in favor of installing an attorney general “accountable not to District residents, but to the President.”
Bowser’s own order—which indefinitely commits Washington to coordinating with federal law enforcement—may be one reason Trump was willing to let his emergency order expire.
“She committed to indefinitely coordinate with federal law enforcement,” a White House official told CNN. “The keyword is ‘indefinitely.’ That is what we want.”
Republicans seem eager to use Bowser’s order as cover for keeping a federal presence in the city—even though the results of Trump’s surge have been questionable. An AP analysis found that more than 40% of arrests during the month-long operation were immigration-related, despite Trump’s framing of the crackdown as a crime-fighting mission.
But that hasn’t stopped GOP lawmakers from leaning on fear. Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas told AP that he wants his constituents to feel safe visiting the capital, citing the recent murder of an intern in his office.
“We want to make sure that we have a capital that Americans are proud of,” he said.
And Rep. August Pfluger of Texas added that “Congress has a clear constitutional authority over D.C., and we will use it without hesitation to continue making D.C. safe and great again.”
But with National Guard troops still deployed—and no timeline for when they’ll leave—residents know that the city isn’t returning to normal anytime soon. If the House bills advance, Washington’s already limited autonomy could shrink even more, leaving locals with even less control over their own government.
The message is hard to miss: Trump and the GOP will stop at nothing to punish the nation’s capital and tighten their grip on a city that has long been a Democratic stronghold.
Alex Samuels September 11, 2025 at 02:00PM From Daily Kos
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