Chairman Comer Opens Hearing on Oversight of the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON- Today, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) delivered opening remarks at a full committee hearing titled "Oversight of the District of Columbia." In his statement, Chairman Comer reaffirmed the Committee's commitment to working with D.C. leaders to ensure the nation's capital is safe and prosperous for residents and visitors alike. He praised President Trump's recent efforts to improve public safety in Washington, D.C., calling them a clear success and a strong example of how smart-on-crime policies protect communities.

Chairman Comer also acknowledged that rising juvenile crime and poor education outcomes remain urgent challenges for the District. He emphasized that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and Attorney General Brian Schwalb are present today to outline their plan to collaborate with Congress and the Trump Administration in addressing these critical issues and making the city safe and welcoming for all Americans.

He concluded by noting that the Committee recently passed fourteen key pieces of legislation aimed at restoring public safety, and stressed that Congress must continue building on the progress achieved under President Trump's leadership.

Below are Chairman Comer's remarks as prepared for delivery.

It has been one week since the conclusion of President Trump's historic crackdown on crime in our nation's capital, and the results are in:

Since President Trump mobilized the national guard and took control of the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime has decreased 39 percent, robberies are down 57 percent, and car jackings are down 75 percent.

Over 2,300 people have been arrested. Nearly 950 illegal aliens have been detained by ICE, including 20 gang members from violent foreign terrorist organizations.

Sex offenders have been taken off the streets.

Major drug trafficking operations have been foiled.

Authorities thwarted a planned school shooting, cleared 50 illegal tent encampments, and rescued seven missing children.

And D.C. went without a homicide for 13 days.

President Trump's operation was a resounding success and a shining example of how smart-on-crime policies can keep the residents of and visitors to our nation's capital safe.

Prior to President Trump's crackdown on crime, Washington, D.C. was suffering from soaring crime rates, as high as the violent 1990s.

According to 2024 data, Washington D.C. has the second highest homicide rate, behind only to Detroit among U.S. cities with under a million people.

That rate is also higher than many capital cities across the globe.

These high crime rates are largely driven by historically high rates of juvenile crime, which were enabled by ultra-progressive, soft-on-crime policies enacted by the D.C. Council and supported by the D.C. Attorney General.

In 2018 the D.C. Council amended the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act of 1985, allowing for adults 24 years of age and under to be prosecuted as juveniles for many even violent crimes, leading to more lenient sentences.

The D.C. Council also passed laws in recent years that lowered statutory penalties for violent crimes, eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for all crimes except first-degree murder, and eliminated life sentences entirely.

The D.C. Council recently passed laws that greatly hamper the ability of the Metropolitan Police to pursue and apprehend criminals.

Officers cannot execute their duties as effectively, leaving morale, retention, and recruitment numbers at historic lows.

These actions send every signal to criminals, especially juveniles, that they can commit crimes in the District without accountability.

D.C. residents overwhelmingly agree that juveniles who commit violent crimes should face sentences that are proportional to their crimes.

Yet the D.C. Attorney General has far too often declined to prosecute juveniles who commit these crimes, justifying his dangerous decisions by saying, quote, "we cannot prosecute our way out of this" end quote, and that, quote, "kids are kids", end quote.

Recently, when asked about out-of-control juvenile crime in D.C. and the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act, the D.C. Attorney general said "our laws are working, and the prosecution is working."

Victims of violent crimes and their families might disagree with that assessment.

Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym was viciously murdered in June while he was simply walking down the street, an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.

Two 17-year-olds were finally arrested just the other week for killing Eric, while a third suspect, an 18-year-old, is still at large.

The U.S. Attorney for D.C. revealed that all three of these vicious murderers have prior violent juvenile records.

Had they been held accountable, Eric's murder might have been prevented.

Members of Congress and staff have been assaulted, carjacked, and have witnessed violent and traumatic criminal acts.

One Member of Congress was assaulted in her residence. Another was carjacked at gunpoint.

Congressional staff have been victims of armed robbery and carjackings, threatened at knifepoint, assaulted at gunpoint while walking home, and stabbed in the head while leaving dinner.

One of my former professional staff members for the Committee personally witnessed not one, but TWO separate murders in the District during his tenure with us, one at a Navy Yard restaurant in 2022 and another at a metro station on his way into the office in 2023.

The left-wing politicians who say that D.C. does not have a crime problem are either delusional or simply lying to the American people.

This body must ensure that the progress made by the President's recent actions endures.

That is why last week, the Committee passed fourteen vital pieces of legislation to restore public safety to the residents and visitors of D.C.

While we urge final passage of these bills, the Committee also recognizes that the witnesses before us need to do their part to help ensure D.C. residents and visitors are safe.

I look forward to hearing how each of you plan to work with Congress and the Trump administration to do so.

I now yield to the ranking member for his opening remarks.