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Congress won’t extend President Trump’s expiring D.C. crime emergency declaration that has given the federal government power to take over certain law enforcement functions in Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday.
The emergency powers that Mr. Trump is using via the Home Rule Act expire Wednesday and can be extended only by an act of Congress.
Mr. Johnson said that while he has been among the Republicans interested in an extension, it’s likely not necessary because D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser plans to continue cooperating with the feds to prevent crime in the nation’s capital.
“If you have an agreement — my understanding is an agreement between the White House and the local leadership — then I’m not sure Congress has any necessity to do anything,” the Louisiana Republican said. “So we’ll see how that plays out.”
Ms. Bowser issued an order last week creating the Safe and Beautiful Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the District-fed response as the emergency comes to an end.
“We have a framework to request or use federal resources in our city,” she said. “We don’t need a presidential emergency.”
Mr. Johnson said he read Ms. Bowser’s comments as providing “an indefinite welcome mat to keep the crime low.”
“We all benefit from that,” he said. “You can walk home safely tonight. We couldn’t have told you that several weeks ago.”
Ms. Bowser’s order mentioned coordinated efforts and shared resources between city law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Secret Service, the U.S. Park Police and U.S. Capitol Police.
It made no mention of National Guard troops that have served as the public face of the emergency.
Ms. Bowser has praised the Trump administration’s intervention as helping reduce crime in the District. The president, in turn, has commended her for her cooperation.
• Brad Matthews contributed to this story.
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