John,
Our nation’s capital is under siege.
Last week, Donald Trump announced that he was taking control of Washington, DC’s police force. His excuse? The city was overwhelmed with crime. But the truth is that violent crime has fallen to a 30-year low.1 Despite this reality, the National Guard was sent into DC neighborhoods, sweeping homeless encampments and displacing people with nowhere else to go. Residents who should feel protected by their government instead feel targeted and silenced as police and federal agents victimize vulnerable people, destroying people’s meager belongings even before the eviction deadline set by city officials. Americans don’t like bullies—but it’s bullies on parade here in the nation’s capitol.
Representative Jamie Raskin—joined by DC’s representative, Eleanor Holmes Norton and other House allies—has introduced a resolution to end this seizure of local authority.2 There’s too much at stake: if Trump can trample home rule in DC, he’ll try it elsewhere. DC’s lack of statehood makes it easier here, but, just like Los Angeles, Trump will seize what he can, targeting the most vulnerable.
Send a message to the House telling them to pass Rep. Raskin’s resolution to block Trump’s DC takeover.
This takeover is about power, not safety. For decades, DC residents—taxpaying Americans—have been denied the full rights of representation that every other community enjoys. Now, Trump is exploiting that injustice, treating DC as a political chess piece rather than a community of 700,000 people who deserve self-rule.
At the same time, House Republicans are blocking the city from spending its tax dollars. Congress has frozen DC’s budget at last year’s levels, denying the city access to more than $1 billion in locally raised tax revenue. That money was supposed to fund schools, keep streets safe, support public health clinics, and stabilize housing for families on the brink. Instead, because of political gridlock, DC faces devastating cuts that could gut essential services within months.
As Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) commented:3
“But if Trump actually cared about the people of D.C. and their safety, he wouldn’t have blocked the local government from spending over $1 billion of its own money to fund its own police department, schools, and more. Instead of commandeering the local police and deploying the military to the City’s streets, Donald Trump should give D.C. back its money and get the hell out of the District’s way.”
Join us in calling on Congress to pass Rep. Raskin’s resolution to end the occupation of Washington, DC, and release $1 billion of funding.
Thank you for all you do,
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action
1Violent Crime in D.C. Hits 30 Year Low
2Democrats introduce bill to block Trump DC police takeover
3Van Hollen, Norton Will Reintroduce Bills to Grant D.C. Full Control Over Its National Guard, Police as Trump Plays Dictator with Law Enforcement in the District
