President Trump is working with Republican congressional leaders on a comprehensive crime bill, legislation that will put his popular crime-fighting agenda in front of voters ahead of the midterm elections next year. Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s crime legislation push:
The congressional collaboration announcement
Trump reveals legislative effort with GOP leaders:
- “Speaker Mike Johnson, and Leader John Thune, are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill,” Trump said Tuesday on social media
- Added that it is what the “country needs, and NOW More to follow. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
- Legislation will put his popular crime-fighting agenda in front of voters ahead of midterm elections next year
- Represents major legislative push on crime issues with Republican lawmakers
The historical crime bill context
Current effort follows decades-old precedent:
- Congress last passed crime bill in 1994 when Bill Clinton was president
- It was considered largest crime bill in U.S. history and funded 100,000 new law enforcement officers
- Spent $9.7 billion on prisons during Clinton administration
- Trump’s proposal would be first comprehensive federal crime legislation in three decades
The executive order actions
Trump has already implemented crime-fighting measures through executive authority:
- Trump signed executive order Monday threatening to pull federal support from District of Columbia and other jurisdictions that refuse to end their cashless bail policies
- Said federal funds, services or approvals can be withheld if local leaders don’t comply
- Another executive order said federal grants and contracts for cities and states with cashless bail policies could be canceled
- Orders designed to pressure local governments to change criminal justice policies
The National Guard deployment
Military resources enlisted for domestic crime fighting:
- Trump ordered National Guard to prepare for rapid deployment to fight crime across country
- Enlisted more federal agencies to join his crime-fighting effort, including Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Transportation
- Trump has made fighting violent crime around U.S., particularly in nation’s capital, top priority this year
- Including deploying National Guard to help immigration sweeps in Los Angeles and support police in District of Columbia
The crime emergency declaration
D.C. serves as model for national approach:
- Measures were designed to tackle “crime emergency” that Trump declared Aug. 11 in nation’s capital
- He has since said effort could be needed in other cities
- D.C. deployment includes both immigration enforcement and police support functions
- Emergency declaration provides legal framework for federal intervention
The data dispute
Conflicting claims over crime statistics accuracy:
- Critics have countered that violent crime is down in District and other cities from spikes during COVID-19 pandemic
- But Trump accused cities of manipulating data to lower crime rates
- Justice Department is investigating District’s crime statistics
- Debate over actual crime levels versus reported statistics creates political tension
Read more:
• Donald Trump working on crime bill with Congress
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
