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.