Republicans link DC education system to rising juvenile crime rates

As Republicans continue to crack down on rising crime in Washington, D.C., a handful of lawmakers are turning their attention to education policies and high truancy rates, signaling a move by the GOP to expand its efforts to roll back the district’s local autonomy beyond just public safety.

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee held a hearing to examine a slew of policies in the district, including those on crime and homelessness. Republicans on the committee sought to use the hourslong questioning to argue against Washington’s self-governance, building on recent moves from Congress to repeal some of the district’s local laws.

CRIME IS JUST THE BEGINNING AS GOP SEEKS TO REIN IN DC’S LIBERAL GOVERNMENT

“We have a tall task today examining D.C.’s failings. The crime statistics alone are shocking,” Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said in his opening remarks. “The D.C. Council saw these rising crime trends. But rather than support policies to protect their residents, it did the opposite. … We must for its residents, our constituents who visit from across the country, and those who work in this city. They all deserve a safe and prosperous city.”

The hearing comes just hours before the committee is set to vote on advancing a bill that would override local police reforms that were passed late last year by the Council of the District of Columbia. It also follows the passage of a GOP-led bill to repeal the district’s rewritten criminal code earlier this month, which marked the first time in 30 years that Congress has voted to overturn a district law.

Although legislation thus far has only focused on crime and public safety in Washington, Republicans are beginning to test the waters to see just how far they can go to rein in the district’s autonomy — including on issues such as education, abortion, and the economy.

Republicans on the committee questioned local lawmakers on the district’s stalled education growth that was reported during the pandemic, seeking to tie high truancy rates to the rising number of juvenile crimes in the district.

Washington schools reported a sharp decline in school attendance for the 2021-22 school year, with nearly half of students missing at least 10% of the entire school year, according to the D.C. Policy Center. Roughly 42% of students were labeled as “truant.”

GOP committee members blamed the sinking education levels on policies that were enacted during the pandemic, arguing students have been “placed last in priority the past few years.”

“Forced school shutdowns during the pandemic led to huge drops in math and language scores for students across all grades. This has also led to record-level truancy. Something needs to be done to turn this around,” Comer said.

Members of the district council pushed back on those assertions, arguing Washington is seeing improvement in its test scores and overall educational performance in recent years.

However, some Republicans sought to tie the high truancy numbers to the rise in juvenile crime rates recorded in the district over the last three years.

“Do you see a link between the high truancy rates and increased juvenile crime?” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) asked.

“No, I do not,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.

A handful of Republicans pushed back on Mendelson’s denial, with one lawmaker going so far as to compare the district’s schools to “inmate factories.”

“Not only are your schools dropout factories, they’re inmate factories — and you can look at this anywhere you want to in the country,” Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) said. “You can sit there and shake your head all you want. … It’s just the facts.”

No legislation has been introduced to begin implementing changes to the district’s education system. However, the line of questioning on Wednesday could hint at ways Republicans will begin to expand their efforts to restrict Washington’s power — with some seeking to repeal the district’s self-governance altogether.

Democrats on the committee pushed back on Republicans’ attacks throughout the hearing, with several calling the inquiry a “waste of time.” Meanwhile, local lawmakers who were called to testify used the opportunity to call for the district’s statehood — a move that has been repeatedly rejected in previous Congresses.

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“The people of the District of Columbia want statehood,” Del. Eleanor Norton (D-DC), who represents the district in the House as a nonvoting member, said. “They want voting representation in Congress. They want to govern themselves like everybody else in this country. … It is time for Congress to pass the D.C. Statehood bill.”

The hearing on Wednesday is the first of several House Republicans plan to hold to address local affairs in Washington, D.C. The panel is planning to hold another hearing on May 16 to question Mayor Muriel Bowser, although it’s unclear whether the committee will hold another hearing before then.