Padilla Supports Legislation to Grant D.C. Officials Full Control Over Its National Guard, Police

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After the Trump Administration deployed National Guard troops across Washington, D.C. and took control of the city's police department, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL) in introducing legislation to grant the District full authority over the D.C. National Guard and the Metropolitan Police Department. This need has only become more urgent as the Administration reportedly extended the Guard's deployment through November 30 and as Congressional Republicans continue attacking the District's right to self-governance.

"Los Angeles was just Donald Trump's test case for his unprecedented militarization of cities across the country," said Senator Padilla. "Now, he's taking his authoritarian playbook to our nation's capital, escalating tensions and bypassing local leadership once again by bringing in the National Guard and federalizing D.C.'s police force. Trump is manufacturing a spectacle to distract from his own failed agenda and refusal to release the Epstein files. Washington, D.C. has long deserved full control over its own police force and National Guard, and Trump and Republicans' continued attacks on the city make this legislation even more urgent."

"In a raw power grab, Donald Trump has overtaken D.C.'s police and brought in the National Guard to satisfy his desire to play dictator in our nation's capital. As he looks to extend his authoritarian control over D.C., it is urgent that we act now to ensure the District's leaders have the same authority over its National Guard and police force as other states and territories - while we continue to fight for D.C. statehood. If Trump and Republicans actually cared about the people of D.C. and their safety, they'd get out of the way of D.C.'s leaders and residents and allow them to manage the District and their own funds. Trump and Republicans' continued withholding of over $1 billion of those funds is unacceptable," said Senator Van Hollen.

"D.C. residents are Americans, fully capable of governing themselves, including having full control of their police force and National Guard like residents of the states," said Representative Norton. "President Trump's unprecedented federalization of the D.C. Police and his activation of the D.C. National Guard without D.C.'s consent underscore the necessity of D.C. statehood. Until we get the full protections that statehood would provide, our bills repealing the president's authority to federalize the local D.C. police department and to give D.C.'s mayor control over the D.C. National Guard, like governors of states have over their National Guards, would place D.C. closer to having control over some of its most vital affairs and equality with the states, as we deserve. Senator Van Hollen, thank you for being D.C.'s determined partner in the Senate and a vigorous advocate for D.C. home rule."

The District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act would name the mayor of Washington, D.C. as Commander-in-Chief of the D.C. National Guard, giving the mayor the same control over the D.C. National Guard that the governors of the states and the three territories with National Guards have over their respective National Guards. Under current law, the President is Commander-in-Chief of the D.C. National Guard. In addition to Padilla, this bill is cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and co-led in the House by U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08).

The District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act would repeal the provision in the Home Rule Act that gives the President the authority to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department. Currently, the Home Rule Act provides that, "whenever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes, he may direct the mayor to provide him, and the mayor shall provide, such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate."

In addition to Padilla, this bill is cosponsored by Senators Alsobrooks, Booker, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Sanders, Schiff, Warren, and Welch.

Senator Padilla has been a leading voice in opposition to President Trump's militarization of Los Angeles with the deployment of National Guard troops and active-duty U.S. Marines in response to overwhelmingly peaceful protests. In June, Padilla led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities. Last week, Padilla applauded a federal judge's ruling that President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth violated federal law through their deployment of military forces to Los Angeles. Padilla and Senator Schiff also demanded the U.S. Department of Defense provide information on operational details related to the ongoing deployment of California National Guard personnel in Los Angeles, first federalized by President Trump on June 9. Following the initial deployment of approximately 700 members of the U.S. Marine Corps, Padilla and Schiff told the Defense Department the action was "unjustifiable" and "irresponsibly rushed." Padilla also placed a hold on Trump's nominee to serve as vice chief of the National Guard Bureau, Lieutenant General Thomas Carden, until the Trump Administration releases all remaining U.S. military forces from their unjustified deployment to Los Angeles.

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