House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has commended President Trump for actions taken to address crime in Washington, D.C. The White House announced the activation of the D.C. National Guard and federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department to support local law enforcement and tackle crime in the District.
“President Trump is rightly using executive power to take bold and necessary action to crack down on crime and restore law and order in Washington, D.C. For years, the D.C. Council’s radical, soft-on-crime agenda has emboldened criminals and put public safety at risk in our nation’s capital. Protecting all Americans and tackling crime are core conservative policy priorities, and today’s actions by the Trump Administration mark another promise kept. Alongside President Trump, the House Oversight Committee is also advancing legislative solutions to protect Americans in their capital city and plans to hold a hearing with the District Attorney General Brian Schwalb, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and Mayor Muriel Bowser this September. The Committee looks forward to continuing its constitutional duty to oversee D.C. and will work with the Trump Administration to ensure a safe, beautiful, and prosperous capital,” said Chairman James Comer.
The House Oversight Committee oversees matters relating to Washington, D.C., including holding local officials accountable for policy decisions affecting public safety. Under Comer’s leadership, Congress passed legislation such as House Joint Resolution 26 blocking changes proposed by the D.C. Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022; this effort received bipartisan support from both chambers of Congress as well as President Biden.
Another resolution aimed at overturning an anti-police bill passed Congress but was vetoed by President Biden; however, subsequent pressure led the D.C. Council to roll back several provisions of that legislation.
In May 2024, H.R. 7530—known as the “D.C. Criminal Reform to Immediately Make Everyone Safer (D.C. CRIMES) Act”—passed with bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. The bill restricts progressive criminal justice policies by prohibiting certain actions from the D.C. Council regarding law enforcement reform.
Last week saw Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) reintroduce similar legislation intended to improve safety for residents and visitors in Washington.
On June 10, 2025, Comer praised passage of another measure—the Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act—which aims to restore due process protections for police officers in Washington while reinforcing elements of President Trump’s recent executive order on public safety.
James Comer represents Kentucky’s 1st congressional district since replacing Ed Whitfield in 2016; he previously served in Kentucky’s state legislature from 2001 through 2012. Born in Carthage, Tennessee in 1972, Comer lives in Tompkinsville and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science degree.
