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President Biden on Monday signed into law legislation that would overturn a District of Columbia crime bill, a controversial move that has angered the progressive wing of his party for weeks.
Republicans championed the resolution of disapproval that would block the implementation of the D.C. law, which aimed to eliminate most mandatory sentences, lower penalties for a number of violent offenses like carjackings and robberies, and expand the requirement for jury trials in most misdemeanor cases.
Biden’s support for the bill, which 33 Senate Democrats voted in favor of, has been criticized as being in conflict with his stance supporting D.C. statehood and the Democratic Party’s typical support for D.C. home rule. The bill’s passage marked the first time in more than three decades that a D.C.-passed bill has been nixed by Congress and the White House. Mayor Muriel Bowser had vetoed the measure, which the city council overrode.
The president’s support for the legislation is a reflection of how the White House is trying to navigate the politically charged issue of crime in a bid to counter Republican-led messaging that Democrats are soft on crime.
