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The D.C. Crimes Act passed the House 240-179 on Tuesday. This bill reforms the District of Columbia sentencing guidelines to ensure that adult criminal offenders are not tried as minors and ensures that youth offenders are sentenced to at least the minimum penalty for their crimes.
RSBN previously reported that current District of Columbia policy allows criminal offenders ages 18-24 to be tried as minors and that minors receive lighter sentencing, which has been known to increase crime in the area.
Bill sponsor, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., celebrated the passage of the DC Crimes Act on X, stating, “Simply put, if you’re 18-24 years-old and you commit a crime in our nation’s capital, you should be sentenced as an adult. This is common sense. We are Making DC Safe Again.”
Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., spoke about her support of the bill. She cited rising crime rates. “How many of these so-called youthful offenders running rampant, terrorizing the hardworking people of Washington D.C. are actually adults?” She added, “This situation is untenable and should not be tolerated in a civilized society.
The Heritage Action for America organization also expressed support for the bill, noting that “Many Americans will be shocked to learn this was not already the case. Under D.C.’s pro-crime Democrat leadership, criminal charges are regularly downgraded, enabling criminals to quickly return to victimizing others.”
The Republican Study Committee agreed, stating that passage of the bill is “an outstanding first step to restoring law & order in our nation’s capital.” They concluded that, “REPUBLICANS ARE MAKING D.C. SAFE AND GREAT AGAIN!