CNN recently interviewed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about President Biden’s decision not to support Washington D.C.’s revised criminal code, which had infuriated some House Democrats.
The President stated that he would not veto a bipartisan resolution that would overturn sweeping criminal justice reform legislation passed by the Washington D.C. Council in November.
When asked if Biden pulled “the rug out” from House progressives, Jeffries replied that he did not believe so. He stated that he believed in local government having control over local matters and that he believed in D.C. statehood.
However, when pressed by Dana Bash on whether he was okay with the President’s decision, Jeffries said that he had not had a chance to talk to the White House about the President’s views and would not comment until he did.
Bash continued to push Jeffries, stating that frustrated House Democrats felt that the White House had pulled the rug out from under them. Jeffries responded that he had not gotten that sense and that Democrats remained united on “the big picture issues.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre argued that a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) issued by the Executive Office of the President on Feb. 6 opposing the House resolution disapproving of D.C.’s revised criminal code was not a promise that Biden would veto the legislation.
The policy statement released by the White House stated that Congress should respect the District of Columbia’s autonomy to govern its own local affairs while working towards making Washington, D.C. the 51st state of the Union.
While opponents of the measure in Congress called it a soft-on-crime bill, supporters of criminal justice reform were disappointed by Biden’s sudden announcement that he would not veto the congressional resolution to block D.C.’s crime code if it reached his desk. Biden tweeted that he supported D.C. statehood and home-rule but did not support some of the changes that D.C. Council had put forward.
Overall, the article discusses the controversy surrounding President Biden’s decision not to support Washington D.C.’s revised criminal code, which had frustrated some House Democrats.
While House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defended the President’s decision and cited the importance of local government control, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced criticism from reporters for her explanation of the administration’s policy.
Opponents of the measure in Congress called it soft-on-crime, while supporters of criminal justice reform were disappointed by Biden’s decision not to veto the congressional resolution.
