Mar. 3, 2023: Dems seethe over Biden’s D.C. crime betrayal

What’s more important: respecting the principle of D.C. self-governance, or staying on the right side of an explosive national issue?

Yesterday, President Joe Biden chose politics over principle. It did not go over well with some Democrats. 

In November, the D.C. Council passed a major reform of the District’s criminal code. The legislation was vetoed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, who objected to reductions in penalties for some serious crimes, such as carjackings and home burglaries. In January, her veto was overridden by the council, 12-1.

At the time, the White House issued a statement of administration policy opposing the resolution on the grounds that “denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded.” An overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted against the resolution (31 Dems supported it). As the resolution was teed up in the Senate, it became conventional wisdom that Biden would veto it.

That was incorrect. On Thursday, while addressing Senate Democrats, the president shocked Washington and declared that he would sign the measure if it reached his desk.

“I support D.C. Statehood and home-rule,” Biden tweeted after the meeting, “but I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor’s objections — such as lowering penalties for carjackings. If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did — I’ll sign it.”

Plus, Playbook editor Mike DeBonis catches up with national political correspondent Meridith McGraw who's on the ground at CPAC, the annual conservative conference. 

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Raghu Manavalan is the host and senior editor of POLITICO's Playbook Daily Briefing.
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