WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and a coalition of their Republican colleagues in introducing the Common-Sense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now (CLEAN) D.C. Act today. The legislation empowers law enforcement in D.C. by repealing sweeping restrictions made by D.C.’s City Council and Democrats in Congress under President Joe Biden.

“For too long, Congress has failed to keep D.C. safe and allowed corrupt local officials to prioritize politics over people’s lives,” said Senator Mike Lee. “The CLEAN D.C. Act is a step in the right direction as Congress reasserts its constitutional duty to safeguard D.C.”

“Violent crime has become endemic in Washington DC as a direct result of political and ideological decisions made by Democrats,” said Senator Ted Cruz. “Those decisions included passing and trying to lock in anti-police measures such as the Orwellian-named Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, which undermined police morale, weakened officer retention, and contributed to a still-ongoing public safety disaster. The CLEAN D.C. Act will reverse that decision, and I call upon my colleagues in Congress to pass it.”

The CLEAN D.C. Act was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-GA) introduced companion legislation in the House.

“For far too long, our nation’s capital has been plagued by rampant crime and unsafe streets,” said Senator Ted Budd. “I am proud to join Senator Cruz and my colleagues in reaffirming Congressional authority to implement common-sense policing measures in Washington, D.C., to support the President’s agenda — putting safety first.”

“For years, the radical liberals on the D.C. Council in Washington have turned their backs on the blue by ushering in new laws and regulations that handicap law enforcement’s ability to do their jobs, spurring rampant, violent crime across our nation’s capital,” said Senator John Cornyn. “This legislation would repeal one of these harmful laws that unfairly targeted police by restricting their ability to pursue a fleeing target or stop a violent protest so our brave law enforcement officers can once again feel empowered to make D.C. safe for all.”

“Idaho serves as a model of low crime and safe streets, while Washington, DC’s crime and threats to public safety required President Trump’s intervention to bring law and order,” said Senator Jim Risch. “The CLEAN DC Act will ensure law enforcement can continue to support the President’s efforts to prioritize the safety of all Americans in our nation’s capital.”

“Washington, D.C. is the capital of the free world – instead of being a shining example to metro areas across the globe, it has become a cesspool for criminals and illegals to get away with violent crime,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville. “The D.C. police should have every tool in the toolkit to enforce the law and fight crime. We owe it to them, along with the millions of people who live, work, and visit D.C. every year, to keep this city safe. I’m proud to join this legislation with Senator Cruz to remove red tape that’s preventing our police officers from being able to do their jobs. Keeping people safe and locking the bad guys up is common sense and I hope my colleagues can get off their high horse and vote for the wellbeing of our nation’s capital.

“Congress must once again exercise our constitutional authority to repeal the D.C. City Council’s anti-police law that has recklessly put criminals first and our men and women in blue last,” said Rep. Andrew Clyde. “Unlike Joe Biden — who vetoed this commonsense legislation in 2023, President Trump stands for law and order. Sending the CLEAN DC Act to President Trump’s desk will further bolster his successful efforts to make our nation’s capital safe again for the American people. I thank Senator Cruz for leading this critical bill in the Senate, and I urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put public safety over politics by supporting our efforts to repeal the D.C. Council’s severely misguided law.”

 This bill is endorsed by the D.C. Police Union and the Fraternal Order of Police.

“The D.C. Police Union, representing 3,000 dedicated officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), expresses profound gratitude to Senator Ted Cruz for his steadfast leadership in introducing legislation to repeal the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, a misguided and harmful law that has plagued our city's public safety since its enactment. This new repeal effort is a critical step toward restoring common-sense law enforcement in our Nation's Capital. The Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act has not reformed anything, it has enabled lawlessness, endangered officers and their families, and driven away the very professionals needed to keep D.C. safe. We urge all Senators to pass this repeal with the same bipartisan resolve shown in 2023, and we call on the President to sign it into law. Our city cannot afford another day of this failed experiment." – Gregg Pemberton, Chairman, D.C. Police Union

Background

Cosponsoring the CLEAN D.C. Act is part of Senator Lee’s ongoing support for President Donald Trump’s agenda to make Washington D.C. safe and beautiful again by asserting Congress’ constitutional authority to govern the nation’s capital.

In February, Senator Lee introduced the Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act. In response to the mayor and city council’s failure to prevent violent crime, corruption, and voting by non-citizens, the BOWSER Act would repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act and restore Congress’ constitutional authority to govern D.C.

Senator Lee then introduced legislation to block the D.C. City Council from holding secret meetings and circumventing President Trump’s efforts to manage crime and sanitation issues across the city. This bill would provide transparency and prevent corruption by closing the loophole councilmembers use to avoid accountability to their own citizens and Congress.

The CLEAN D.C. Act

The CLEAN D.C. Act repeals the D.C. City Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, which imposed sweeping restrictions on law enforcement in Washington, D.C.

In 2023, the House and Senate passed legislation with bipartisan support to block that measure. President Biden vetoed the resolution, and Democrats sustained his veto the same year.

The D.C. Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 weakens D.C. law enforcement by:

Banning longstanding and proven police tactics.

Stripping legal protections and due process rights for officers.

Threatening police officer safety by authorizing public release of records.

Imposing restrictions on policing protests and the use of non-lethal crowd control.

Law enforcement leaders have warned that these provisions demoralize officers, worsen D.C.’s law enforcement staffing crisis, and embolden criminals.

Read bill text for the CLEAN D.C. Act here.

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