GOP Proposal Gives Trump Authority To Extend D.C. Police Takeover
House Republicans are moving to expand President Donald Trump’s power over Washington, D.C., policing as part of his sweeping crime crackdown in the nation’s capital. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) unveiled the “Capital Emergency Control Act of 2025” this week, a measure that would eliminate the rigid 30-day limit on federalizing D.C. police under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
Ogles said the move is essential to support Trump’s law-and-order agenda. “President Trump has rightly declared a national emergency in Washington, D.C. — a city its own government has surrendered to chaos. Under current law, the President can only federalize D.C. for thirty days,” Ogles explained in a statement. “I’m introducing a resolution to amend the D.C. Home Rule Act so the President can extend this emergency as long as it takes, until our Capitol is taken back and its streets are safe. Congress must defend the President, and our Country.”
Earlier this week, Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, which gave him control of the Metropolitan Police Department and allowed him to deploy federal agents and the National Guard to restore order. The statute currently requires congressional approval for any extension beyond 30 days, but Ogles’ proposal would give the president the ability to retain control in 30-day increments as long as relevant committees are notified and justification is provided. Congress would still be able to terminate the takeover through a joint resolution.
Since the federal operation began, officials have reported dozens of arrests, including violent offenders and suspected illegal immigrants. Top Republicans, such as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), have strongly endorsed Trump’s actions, framing them as overdue measures to restore safety in the capital. Democrats, however, are bristling at the takeover and are preparing counter-legislation to cement full local control over both the D.C. police and National Guard.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the district’s non-voting congressional representative, blasted Ogles’ measure on Thursday. “D.C. pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and more federal taxes overall than 19 states, while being denied the same voting representation in Congress or full local self-government accorded to residents of the 50 states,” Norton said. “I will do everything in my power to block this bill’s progress and passage and prevent D.C. from suffering additional indignities at the hands of the federal government.”
The fight over Trump’s takeover is already becoming a defining political flashpoint. Earlier this year, Ogles introduced the “Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act” — or “BOWSER Act” — which seeks to repeal the entire Home Rule Act and strip Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration of its authority over the city. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
Ogles argued that D.C. leadership had failed so badly that Congress must step back in. “The radically progressive regime of D.C. Mayor Bowser has left our nation’s Capital in crime-ridden shambles. 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,” he said. “The epicenter of not only the United States Federal Government but also the world geopolitics cannot continue to be a cesspool of Democrats’ failed policies.”
With Republicans united behind Trump’s hardline approach and Democrats digging in to defend home rule, the future of D.C.’s police authority now rests with Congress — and may determine whether the president’s unprecedented federalization becomes a short-term intervention or a long-term restructuring of power in the nation’s capital.