GARY FIELDS and MATT BROWN, Author at The Rapid City Post

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

DC mayor defends her crime policies to a House committee, as federal law enforcement surge continues

September 18, 2025

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is defending her policies on crime during a House committee hearing. Her appearance Thursday comes during a federal law enforcement surge in the city and efforts by lawmakers to limit the local council’s control. President Donald Trump federalized the city’s police force last month through an emergency order that has since expired. Federal agencies and the National Guard continue their operations. Bowser highlighted the city’s crime reduction achievements, acknowledging federal intervention’s role. Committee chair Rep. James Comer criticized D.C.’s crime policies, blaming them for high juvenile crime rates. The hearing followed the House’s approval of major criminal justice reforms.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and defended employers who take action against their workers whose comments go too far, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House approves bills to reshape DC’s criminal justice system

September 17, 2025

The House has passed legislation to change how youth offenders are prosecuted in Washington, D.C. The “DC Crimes Act” would lower the age of a youth offender from 24 to 18 and require sentences to match adult mandatory minimums. It was just the latest example of Republicans mobilizing behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. Still, the D.C. legislation has an uncertain future in the Senate, where some Democratic support would be needed. Democrats have criticized Trump’s aggressive intervention in the city’s governance and affairs and have defended the ability of residents in the nation’s capital to govern themselves.

GARY FIELDS and MATT BROWN.

DC mayor defends her crime policies to a House committee, as federal law enforcement surge continues

House approves bills to reshape DC’s criminal justice system

Finance.