Utah Senator Mike Lee and Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles introduced a bill last week that could revoke Washington, D.C.’s ability to govern itself.
Named after D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the “Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act)” seeks to dismantle the D.C. Home Rule Act of 1973, placing the district under full congressional control.
In a statement announcing the bill Congressman Ogles wrote “Washington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness. Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city. As such, it seems appropriate for Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority and restore the nation’s Capital.”
“The corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nation’s capital for decades,” said Lee. “It is long past time that Congress restored the honor and integrity of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.”
The statement lists six “failures of governance in the District of Columbia, including”
• A long history of official corruption, including the recent federal bribery charges against Councilman Trayon White
• Repeated armed carjackings and violence by teenage gangs, including vicious filmed beatings on public transit
• Assaults and robberies on Congressional staffers and Members of Congress
• Soft-on-crime policies encouraging criminals to victimize innocent Americans
• Allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections
• Oppressive, backwards regulations leading to a high cost of living
Councilmember Brooke Pinto of Ward 2 released the following statement:
“Government has no greater responsibility than to provide for the safety of its residents – and that is a responsibility we share and take very seriously across our District government. This past year, the Council and the Mayor came together to pass and implement my Secure DC legislation with over 100 different public safety interventions – and we are seeing the results. The District ended 2024 with a 35% reduction in violent crime and the lowest level of violent crime in decades.”
The statement continues: “I along with my Council colleagues, and the Mayor continue to work everyday to help every resident and visitor be safe in our beautiful city. Under our current criminal legal justice system, there is already an outsized role of the federal government as compared to other jurisdictions. We welcome the partnership of the federal government to fulfill their roles in our system including confirming judges to our courts, enforcing bench warrants, and ensuring there are sufficient local prosecutors at the United States Attorney’s Office to pursue cases impacting our community.
If the BOWSER Act were to pass, it would repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act one year later, effectively dismantling the city’s local government and placing Washington, D.C. under full congressional control.
Enacted in 1973, the D.C. Home Rule Act granted the city the ability to elect its own mayor and council, as well as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners to address community concerns. However, Congress has always retained oversight, including the power to review all local legislation and appoint the city’s judges. While D.C. has a nonvoting Delegate in Congress, it lacks full representation with a voting member.
