U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other Republican senators in introducing 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 aims to address concerns about crime rates in Washington, D.C., which sponsors attribute to recent local reforms.
Senator Tuberville emphasized the need for stronger law enforcement measures in the nation’s capital. “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 echoed these sentiments regarding public safety challenges linked to policy changes in Washington, D.C. “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,” said Sen. Cruz.
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Jim Risch (R-ID). In addition, Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09) has introduced companion legislation in the House.
Both the D.C. Police Union and the Fraternal Order of Police have endorsed this legislative effort.
Supporters argue that provisions within the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 have led to decreased morale among law enforcement officers, increased staffing challenges for local police departments, and greater confidence among those committing crimes.
Senator Tuberville serves Alabama as a member of several Senate committees including Armed Services; Agriculture; Veterans’ Affairs; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; and Aging.
