March 8, 2023 7:25pm EST
Senate Dems overwhelmingly vote with GOP to overturn controversial DC crime law
Biden has said that he will not veto the resolution if it gets to his desk
By Elizabeth Elkind | Fox News
The Senate voted 81-14 on Wednesday to block the Washington, D.C. city council’s dramatic overhaul of its criminal code that Republicans and many Democrats complained would ease criminal penalties in a city that is already suffering from rising crime rates.
In the final vote, only 14 Democrats voted against the resolution aimed at reversing the D.C. law, which was originally the product of the House’s new Republican majority. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and most other Democrats voted to kill the D.C. crime law.
Once the resolution is signed by the president, as is expected, it will mark the first time Congress has acted to roll back DC’s own self-imposed regulations in more than 30 years, a power Congress has under the Constitution.
Republicans said Democrats, including President Biden, were forced to accept the resolution because the reality of soaring crime in the nation's capital can't be ignored.
"We’re the greatest superpower nation history. This is our capital city. But local politicians have let the streets become a danger and an embarrassment," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said before the vote on Wednesday.
The vote followed a few weeks of frustration for Biden's allies, as the White House sent conflicting messages on the resolution.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-dems-overwhelmingly-vote-gop-overturn-controversial-dc-crime-law
