In a sweeping legislative move, the U.S. House of Representatives approved two significant bills aimed at reshaping criminal-justice policy in the nation’s capital. One measure reinstates cash bail for specified violent and dangerous crimes, while the other reverses portions of a 2022 policing reform ordinance by the D.C. Council that limited certain law-enforcement tools and negotiated disciplinary procedures for officers. The bills passed under Republican leadership, signalling a sharp turnaround from previous local policies.
Bail Reinstatement for High-Risk Offenders
The first piece of legislation would require a return to cash bail and pre-trial detention in Washington, D.C., for anyone charged with certain offences deemed especially dangerous or violent. According to the measure, individuals accused of acts such as rioting, unarmed burglary or repeated offences could not be released simply on their promise to appear in court; instead, they must post bail or remain detained. The bill passed by a vote of 237-179, with a number of Democratic members joining Republicans in favour of the measure.
Supporters argue that the removal of cash bail had empowered offenders and undermined public safety, and that restoring it sends a message of accountability. Opponents counter that the shift ignores long-standing efforts to de-link pre-trial freedom from ability to pay, and that the change amounts to criminalising poverty rather than focusing on dangerousness.
Reversing Local Policing Reform Measures
The second bill targets the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 passed by the D.C. Council, which restricted certain police tactics (such as chokeholds), altered disciplinary negotiation rights for officers, and placed additional limitations on law-enforcement operations. The House bill — which passed 233-190 — would roll back many of these elements, restoring broader powers to the local police force and reducing some of the procedural protections that had been installed in the 2022 law.
Proponents contend that the reforms hampered officers’ ability to respond to serious crime and contributed to staffing shortfalls. Critics—particularly among D.C. officials—say the legislation is an assault on local self-governance (home-rule) and risks eroding accountability and community trust in policing.
