Rep. Summer Lee Denounces GOP Attacks on D.C. Autonomy and Public Safety in House Rules Committee Testimony
“If Donald Trump wants to run DC, he should resign from the presidency and run for mayor.”
PITTSBURGH, PA – NOVEMBER 17, 2025 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) testified before the House Rules Committee to oppose two Republican-led bills that would strip Washington, D.C. residents of their right to self-governance, roll back police accountability reforms, and reimpose discriminatory cash bail practices.
The bills under consideration — H.R. 5107, the “Common-Sense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now (CLEAN) in D.C. Act,” and H.R. 5214, the “District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act” — represent what Lee called a “ridiculous overreach” by the federal government into local D.C. affairs.
“It is completely unbelievable that we are here today yet again to micromanage Washington, D.C.,” said Rep. Lee in her opening statement. “The people handling D.C.’s government should be local leaders who are accountable to the people who live here and who actually know the city — not some Member of Congress who has never left Capitol Hill or Navy Yard neighborhoods. If Donald Trump wants to run D.C., he should resign from the presidency and run for mayor. And my Republican colleagues are welcome to run for D.C. Council.”
Lee sharply criticized Republicans for putting Americans’ health and safety at risk during a 42-day government shutdown, even as they now claim to be acting in the name of public safety. “ Republicans have shown a lack of ability to govern the federal government, yet they want to take on local issues,” Lee said, adding that “millions of Americans are seeing huge spikes in health insurance costs of up to 114%, and Republicans refuse to act.”
On the District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act, Lee said:
“Under this bill, if you are charged with certain crimes, you will automatically be locked up before your trial. For other crimes, the bill will require cash bail or a bond. This will make D.C.’s local law far stricter than federal law. You shouldn’t automatically be locked up based on a criminal charge, before you are proven guilty. It seems Republicans have forgotten about innocent until proven guilty and the Fifth Amendment — core tenets of our democracy.”
On the CLEAN D.C. Act, which repeals D.C.’s 2022 Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform law, Lee stated:
“These measures increased accountability for bad actors. They improved training for police officers. They strengthened independent civilian oversight and expanded public access to body-worn camera footage. None of these reforms are radical anti-police measures. They are the first, small steps toward justice — and this bill repeals all of that.”
Lee urged her colleagues to reject both bills, declaring:
“Both of these bills are opposed by D.C. residents. They are opposed by the mayor and council. They were opposed by D.C.’s Member of Congress in the Oversight Committee. We should reject them. I urge the majority to keep their hands off D.C.”
The hearing, which was livestreamed on the House Rules Committee website, featured debate over D.C.’s right to home rule — a principle supported by both Republican and Democratic presidents, including Richard Nixon.
Rep. Lee’s remarks come as part of her ongoing effort to defend D.C.’s autonomy and civil rights, following her previous viral comments on Republican efforts to “criminalize poverty and punish local democracy.”
Full Opening Remarks:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
It is completely unbelievable that we are here today yet again to micromanage Washington, DC. The federal government was shut down for a record 42 days.
The Republicans, who control the House, Senate and Presidency, put Americans’ health and safety at risk, even making multiple attempts to block the most vulnerable Americans from accessing benefits that keep them from starving. Republicans have shown a lack of ability to govern the federal government, yet they want to take on local issues.
Millions of Americans are seeing huge spikes in health insurance costs of up to 114%.
Your monthly premiums could more than double. And Republicans refuse to act. Multiple federal courts ruled that the President must allow SNAP funds to be distributed, yet the president ignored the courts and refused to comply with the law. And still my Republican colleagues insist that micromanaging DC is the best use of our time.
Today, the rules committee will consider two pieces of legislation that are a ridiculous overreach by our federal government. DC has over 700,000 residents – that’s more than 2 states. DC taxpayers don’t just pay federal taxes – they pay more per capita than any state. DC as a whole contributes more total federal taxes than 26 states.
The people handling DC’s government should be local leaders who are accountable to the people who live here and who actually know the city. Not some Member of Congress who has never left Capitol Hill or Navy Yard neighborhoods.
If Donald Trump wants to run DC, he should resign from the presidency and run for mayor. And my Republican colleagues are welcome to run for DC Council.
We all support public safety, but the federal government should be a partner to DC, and we should focus on actual solutions.
Despite the Trump Administration’s repeated claims that violent crime in DC is rising, the Republican investigation into crime statistics at the Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed what we already knew: Crime has been going down. The Committee’s investigation has also repeatedly highlighted the steps DC government officials have taken to bring crime down from its recent peak in 2023. The DC council passed legislation to fill gaps in the criminal code, to fix unintentional problems created by existing laws, and to empower local courts.
We have also repeatedly heard about the importance of maintaining that critical partnership between local enforcement, local elected officials, and the communities they serve. It is the responsibility of DC’s elected officials to address local issues – not Congress.
Today, the majority is proposing 2 bills which will both attack DC’s right to self-government. First, we have the H.R. 5214 – The District of Columbia Cash Bail Reform Act. Under this bill, if you are charged with certain crimes, you will automatically be locked up before your trial. For other crimes, the bill will require cash bail or a bond. This will make DC’s local law far stricter than federal law.
Pre-trial release should be based on a judge’s determination of flight risk, and danger to the community, not just on a blanket mandate from Congress. When a person’s freedom is at stake they deserve to be heard as an individual rather than be painted with a broad brush. You shouldn’t automatically be locked up based on a criminal charge, before you are proven guilty. It seems Republicans have forgotten about innocent until proven guilty and the fifth amendment, core tenants of our democracy.
And our system should not treat you more harshly just because you are poor or from D.C. Rich defendants are not less prone to criminality than poor defendants. This bill will lock up more poor people, and more innocent people. It is unfair to DC and unfair to innocent people.
Next, we have the CLEAN DC Act—which repeals commonsense criminal justice reforms passed by DC’s elected representatives in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. We know that cities and communities all over the country passed similar reforms to increase trust, accountability, and safety.
In DC, these measures increased accountability for bad actors.
They improved training for police officers. They strengthened independent civilian oversight and expanded public access to body-worn camera footage. None of these reforms are radical anti-police measures. None of them are particularly transformative.
They are the first, small steps toward justice and this bill repeals all of that. It would damage what little trust there is between the DC police and the communities they protect and serve. We should oppose it.
Both of these bills are opposed by DC residents. They are opposed by the mayor and council. They were opposed by DC’s Member of Congress in the Oversight committee. We should reject them. I urge the majority to keep their hands off DC and I yield back.
Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.