(The Center Square) – Legislation has been introduced in Congress to repeal the District of Columbia’s Home Rule Act.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn. have introduced the Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act, or BOWSER Act, named after the district’s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser.
The lawmakers argue the legislation comes in response to the “mayor and city council’s failure to prevent violent crime, corruption, and voting by non-citizens.”
The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 was enacted by Congress and ratified by D.C. voters. The act gave the district residents limited autonomy over local affairs, allowing them to elect local leaders, including mayors and council members.
Despite gaining some control, ultimately, Congress has the authority to manage the nation’s capital, according to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the U.S. Constitution. The president also has the authority to appoint district judges.
Lee underscored crime and corruption as reasons for revoking the act, arguing it is a scorn on the nation’s capital.
“The corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nation’s capital for decades,” said the senator. “It is long past time that Congress restored the honor and integrity of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.”
The congressman blames Bower’s progressive policies for leading to crime, citing the district’s reputation for violent crimes.
“The radically progressive regime of D.C. Mayor Bowser has left our nation’s Capital in crime-ridden shambles,” said Ogles. “Washington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness. Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city. As such, it seems appropriate for Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority and restore the nation’s Capital. The epicenter of not only the United States Federal Government but also the world geopolitics cannot continue to be a cesspool of Democrats’ failed policies.”
In the duo’s takedown of the district’s leadership, they cited “a long history of official corruption, federal bribery charges against a council member, armed carjackings, public beatings on public transit, assaults and robberies against congressional staff and members of Congress, soft on crime policies, allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections and regulations causing a high cost of living.
The Metropolitan Police Department reports that crime is going down. The violent crime rate dropped 35% between 2023 and 2024, according to the department, while property crimes were down 11% between 2023 and 2024. Overall, the district saw a 15% reduction in crime between 2023 and 2024.
The district’s city council is comprised of a chairman at large and 12 council members. Four are elected at large, and the remaining represent each of the district’s eight wards.
If the legislation is passed, the BOWSER Act will be revoked one year after passage.