Biden Says He Will Sign Bills Blocking D.C.’s Radical Overhaul Of Voting Rights Criminal Code

President Joe Biden I promised to sign an ordinance prohibiting the city Washington D.C. It needs to be updated on its crime and voting laws.

Washington, D.C.’s City Council approved two bills to amend the city’s criminal code. Another bill allows non-citizens to vote in local elections. Two of these bills were blocked by the House of Representatives from becoming laws. Next week, the Senate will vote on them. Biden indicated that, if the bills are approved, he will sign them.

According to NPRAccording to reports, Biden told Senate Democrats during a closed-door session on Thursday that he would not veto the bills. Bipartisan support is expected to ensure that the bills pass. The Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.NY) confirmed that he would not vote against the bills after the meeting.

Biden confirmed via Twitter. Biden stated, “I support D.C. Statehood & Home-rule – but some of the changes D.C. Council made over the objections of the Mayor – such as lowering penalties to carjackings,” Tweet Official Twitter account of the President “If the Senate votes against what D.C. Council did, I’ll sign it.”

Next week, the Senate will vote on these bills. Two Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Bob Casey (from Pennsylvania), have already voted in support of the bills. Because John Fetterman, a Pennsylvanian colleague of Casey, is ill, the Democrats don’t have enough votes to stop the resolutions from being passed. POLITICO Reporters said that Biden’s endorsement of the measures could help them win additional Democratic votes once they reach the floor. They must be passed by a simple majority, and they cannot be filed.

The House of Representatives passed a resolution to block D.C. legislation allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections becoming law on February 9. 42 Democrats joined the Republicans and 260-162 voted in favor. Another resolution was passed by 31 Democrats to stop the city trying to overhaul its criminal law.

D.C. officials approved Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act It was passed without her signature on its first reading, 2017 by Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser. She refused to veto. Charles Allen, a Washington, D.C. councilmember, introduced this bill in October 2020, arguing that it was compatible with the chamber’s values and its history expanding voting rights.

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The Other billsThe new D.C. criminal code, which would be a century old, will not go into effect until October 2025. The overhaul would improve and update an outdated system, according to the proponents. Critics say it encourages wrongdoing because it lowers penalties for certain crimes. The bill would lower the maximum penalty for violent crimes, such as carjacking, and allow juries trial for misdemeanor offenses.

Muriel Bowser was D.C. Mayor and vetoed changes to the criminal code. The D.C. Council overrode Bowser’s veto and voted to override it. Bowser proposed specific modifications to the revised law. According to NBC Washington these modifications included restoring maximum penalties for gun crime and carjackings, as well delaying their implementation through 2027.

The 1973 Home Rule Act allows Congress repeal legislation passed before it becomes law by D.C.’s municipal councils.

This report was written by Brandon Drey and Daniel Chaitin.

From Biden Declares That He Will Sign Bills To Block D.C.’s Radical Overhaul of Voting Rights Criminal Code

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