Lawmakers are gearing up for a crime bill from the White House as President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. marches on. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously," Trump said. "So we're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in, and it's going to pertain initially to D.C."
He also noted that "we're going to seek a relatively small amount of money" to fix potholes and generally spruce up the district.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that he had spoken with the president, Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House staff on "how Congress can help make Washington D.C. safe again."
"At the direction of President Trump," Bondi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This Department of Justice will continue to work with MPD, federal law enforcement and Congress to address the scourge of violent crime in Washington, D.C. and ensure the safety of all Americans visiting or living in our Nation’s capital."
Graham noted that the White House was working on a package to send to him and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., the chair of the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee.
Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Republicans are broadly supportive of granting him more time to crack down on crime in the Capitol, but a joint resolution likely requires 60 votes in the Senate, and Senate Democrats are signaling that they won’t budge and allow Trump to further consolidate his grip on Washington.
Still, Trump suggested that he would trigger a national emergency declaration to circumvent Congress, which some congressional Republicans have already come out in support of.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declared "No f‑‑‑--- way" during a podcast appearance when asked about an extension, and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital in a statement that Trump’s move to federalize Washington D.C. was "political theater."
"He is doing nothing but creating chaos and ignoring the progress local officials in D.C. have made lowering crime," Durbin said. "And now, he is saying he wants to side-step Congress to extend control of the MPD. There are currently no ‘special conditions of an emergency nature’ in D.C., which the President has to claim in order to take federal control of MPD under the Home Rule Act. This is unprecedented and nothing more than a power grab."
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/capitol-hill-prepares-high-stakes-battle-over-trump-crime-package-dc-police-authority