Yellowhammer Times

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), along with several Republican colleagues, have introduced the CLEAN D.C. Act, a bill that seeks to repeal the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 enacted by the D.C. Council.

The legislation is intended to address concerns about crime in Washington, D.C., which sponsors of the bill attribute to recent local reforms affecting law enforcement practices. The senators held a press conference earlier in the day to discuss their support for former President Trump’s approach to addressing crime in cities such as Washington.

“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,” said Sen. Tuberville. “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.”

Senator Cruz added: “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.”

Other cosponsors include Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Jim Risch (R-ID). Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) has introduced companion legislation in the House.

The proposed bill has received endorsements from both the D.C. Police Union and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Supporters argue that provisions within the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act have contributed to staffing shortages among law enforcement officers in Washington due to lowered morale among officers.

Senator Tuberville serves on several Senate committees including Armed Services; Agriculture; Veterans’ Affairs; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; and Aging.