WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today spoke in support of H.R. 5107, the Common-Sense Law Enforcement and Accountability Now in DC (CLEAN DC) Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) to overturn the D.C. Council’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022 and restore the power of law enforcement to execute their duties reasonably without the fear of retribution.

Below are Chairman Comer’s prepared remarks:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I support the CLEAN DC Act, which repeals the majority of D.C.’s so-called “Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act of 2022.” 

By repealing this anti-police law, we will make our nation’s capital safer. 

We will also restore the integrity of and faith in the law enforcement of the District of Columbia. 

For instance, this law stripped law enforcement officers of many tools needed to execute their duties safely and without fear of retribution, as well as limited their options in situations of life or death.

It also created new opportunities for anti-police activists to harass law enforcement officers and added many undue burdens and requirements to officers in the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. 

In 2023, both the House and Senate sought to nullify this law by passing a joint resolution of disapproval.

Unfortunately, this resolution was vetoed by then-President Biden.

The CLEAN DC Act would largely repeal D.C.’s anti-police law and ensure law enforcement officers have the tools to keep visitors and residents safe.

D.C. law enforcement officers—who put their lives on the line every day for our community—must have the capabilities to do their jobs as they are trained to do. 

By addressing the retention and recruitment crises gripping D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, Congress can do its part in helping boost the number of crime fighters this city desperately needs to keep violent criminals off the streets.

I thank Representative Clyde for leading this effort this Congress, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.