On Friday, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) blasted President Joe Biden for his handling of a contentious crime measure in Washington, DC, saying he ought to have warned House Democrats that he would sign the legislation if it passed the Senate.
Republicans viewed Biden’s decision not to veto the bill as a win after it was passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday with unanimous support.
Democrats in Congress have reacted negatively to the law because it amends portions of a criminal statute that the city council passed in January. The DC City Council overrode Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) effort to reject the criminal law by a vote of 12 to 1. The use of jury trials for misdemeanors was reinstated under Washington’s new criminal laws, which also repealed a significant amount of the mandatory minimum penalties for severe crimes.
In a press conference on Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the president by asserting that he had informed House Democrats of his plan on Wednesday, the day before he had said he would not veto the measure. Given the backing of moderate Democrats, the bill might clear the Senate as soon as next week.
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Biden Enrages Democrats To Supporting GOP-Led Resolution
Democrats were shocked and incensed by Biden’s decision to back the Republican-led resolution because they believed he had compromised his stated support for DC home rule. Many people were perplexed because the White House had issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) in February claiming that it opposes the resolution against the crime bill in DC.
The White House’s policy paper stated that Congress should protect the District of Columbia’s autonomy to manage its own local affairs after supporting DC statehood. Nearly 170 Democrats opposed the resolution when it was put to a vote in the House, siding with what they believed to be the administration’s position. A number of House Democrats claimed they were shocked by the president’s choice.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the White House, insisted that “there was never a change of heart” as she maintained the president’s stance on Friday. She said that on Wednesday, one day prior to his announcement, during their annual policy retreat in Baltimore, House Democrats were made aware of Biden’s plans.
At a caucus meeting on Thursday, Biden separately updated the Senate Democrats. In the House, 31 Democrats voted in favor of the Republican-sponsored motion opposing the District’s criminal law. The bill is likely to pass the Senate with bipartisan support when it comes up for a vote as early as next week because Biden has said he will sign it if it reaches his desk.
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