The Republican-led House on Tuesday approved two bills aimed at curbing juvenile crime in Washington, D.C., and is scheduled to take up two additional related measures on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
One measure passed Tuesday, the D.C. CRIMES Act, lowers the maximum age for trying offenders as juveniles from 24 to 18. It also requires sentences to match adult mandatory minimums and directs the city to publish public data on youth crime.<\/p>\n
The second bill, the Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, permits minors as young as 14 to be tried as adults for serious offenses. While both measures drew some Democratic support, the Reform Act passed by a slimmer margin than the CRIMES Act.<\/p>\n
\u201cFully grown legal adults in the District of Columbia can receive sentences meant for children. That is simply insane,\u201d said CRIME act sponsor Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, per\u00a0Just the News<\/a>.<\/p>\n The legislation is part of a broader package of about a dozen House measures advanced as President Trump deploys the National Guard and calls on federal agencies, including the DEA and ICE, to address violent crime and illegal immigration in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Bills that pass the House will head to the Republican-controlled Senate, where their prospects remain unclear. In 2023, however, the Senate did approve a House measure blocking the District from easing criminal penalties \u2014 a bill later signed by then-President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n \u201cI support D.C. Statehood and home-rule, but I don\u2019t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor\u2019s objections such as lowering penalties for carjackings,\u201d Biden\u00a0tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n District residents elect their own local lawmakers, but under the 1973 Home Rule Act, Congress retains broad oversight of the D.C. government.<\/p>\n According to reports, the two bills set for House consideration Wednesday would permit police to physically pursue suspects in certain cases and curb the District\u2019s role in approving local judicial appointments \u2014 further fueling debate over the city\u2019s criminal justice autonomy, Just the News added.<\/p>\n Trump last month called up elements of the DC National Guard and surged federal agents into the nation\u2019s capital in a bid to drive down criminal activity.<\/p>\n