Disapproving the Action of the District of Columbia Council in Approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the almost 700,000 residents of the District of Columbia that this Congress seeks to disenfranchise once again.

D.C. voters and councilmembers saw the problem of police perpetuating different forms of violence plaguing not only their city, but the entire country, and they chose to act.

They saw the reports of fired officers being rehired, cases dropped for faulty evidence and excessive use of force. They saw that marginalized folks were bearing the brunt of the violence and were being disproportionately prosecuted.

What are we doing here today?

Debating a resolution that seeks to circumvent the will of those D.C. voters. Congress does not have the authority to pass a disapproval resolution such as this for any other State or municipality. The principle of no taxation without representation helped launch the American Revolution and is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. D.C. residents drive around with that on their license plates.

Yet, this joint resolution is telling all 670,000 taxpaying residents that their voices don't matter. I am sure it is no coincidence that those residents are over 45 percent Black. We must affirm their right to self-determination.

D.C. residents have been petitioning for voting representation in Congress for over 200 years. In 2016, they approved a referendum for statehood by 85 percent. Instead of acting on that, this Republican-led Congress has taken every chance to strike down the will of the people. You cannot support self-rule for jurisdictions as long as they don't make choices you oppose.

The bill this resolution seeks to strike down mirrors the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that this Congress passed last year. Among other things, it prohibits choke holds, removes military-grade weapons from officers, bans the hiring of officers with prior misconduct, and requires officers to inform people of their rights.

Frankly, the bill doesn't go far enough, leaving out crucial reforms such as ending qualified immunity. None of these reforms are radical anti-police measures. None of them are particularly transformative. They are the first, small steps toward justice.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this joint resolution and allow the will of the D.C. people to stand.

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