Bowser, Mendelson, Schwalb Quizzed by Congress
By • September 22, 2025 0 370
Mayor Muriel Bowser, District Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb appeared before the House Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for five hours on Sept. 18. With other D.C. officials in attendance, the three top D.C. office-holders forcefully shared their concerns about crime in the District and President Trump’s calling in the National Guard in August to help D.C. law enforcement deal with what he proclaimed was emergency out-of-control crime In the city.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) cited a list of many recent crimes in D.C., involving current and former congressional staff members, including the fatal shooting of Congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym.
“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,” Comer said.
“Changes in D.C. law have eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for most crimes as well as changes that restricted local police from pursing criminals. Officers cannot execute their duties as effectively, leaving morale, retention and recruitment numbers at historic lows for the Metro Police Department,” Comer concluded. “These actions send every signal to criminals, especially juveniles, that they can commit crimes in the District without accountability.”
The mayor and her colleagues vigorously insisted that the city had cut violent crime by half since then.
They acknowledged that the federal intervention had helped “accelerate” the city’s progress in reducing crime which had indeed spiked in 2023.
“There’s no question that there was a reduction in crime during the law enforcement surge in August,” Mendelson said. “But, as we have said, if you want to add 500 officers working with [D.C. police], of course we’re going to see a reduction in crime. That’s not the same as ICE raids. That’s not the same as National Guard doing landscaping on the National Mall.”
“We don’t regard the Guard as a law enforcement agency,” Bowser said, adding that extra FBI or drug enforcement officers are more beneficial to the city.” She called on Republicans in Congress to pause consideration and let local officials decide what is best for D.C. residents. “Any crime is too much crime,” Bowser said. “But we’re trending in the right direction.”
Underlying all the discussion was the implication of recent Congressional activity to limit the powers of the D.C. government.
The Home Rule Act of 1973 grants the district some autonomy, but federal leaders retain significant control over local affairs, including the approval of the budget and laws passed by the D.C Council. The week before the city officials appeared before the House Oversight Committee week, the House passed legislation to change two criminal laws in D.C. One would reduce the age a teen can be charged as an adult — from 16 to 14. The second would strip judges of discretion to offer lenient sentences to adults under 25 under the Youth Rehabilitation Act, capping eligibility for alternative sentencing at age 18. The bills still face approval in the Senate.
While violent crime has fallen since 2023, juvenile crime remains a concern in D.C. Teens still account for more than half of robbery arrests, according to city data.
“If you can’t say there’s a juvenile crime problem in Washington, D.C., that’s why we have to come in and help,” Comer said to Mendelson after he did not answer Comer’s question directly, according to the Washington Post.
After the committee hearing, Mendelson and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto briefly relaxed at the Citizens Association of Georgetown Gala at the Sequoia Restaurant on the Georgetown waterfront. One party-goer said to Mendelson, “I heard it was rough on the Hill. You need a drink.” The Council Chair quipped, “I already had two.”
