D.C.’s mayor, the head of the D.C. Council and the attorney general took questions on public safety from members of Congress at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday.
But for most of the hourslong hearing, members of Congress used their time to posture on various issues not directly related to D.C.
In one dramatic moment, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, questioned Mayor Muriel Bowser about diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
“So, Mayor Bowser, what is a woman?” Mace asked.
“I’m a woman. Are you a woman?” Bowser replied.
During heated questioning from Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson accused DC Police Union head Gregg Pemberton of lying about crime statistics.
“Are you guys cooking the books?” Jordan asked.
“I think we’re not, but I also know there are a couple of investigations,” Mendelson began.
Interrupting, Jordan asked, “You just settled the case, didn’t you? You just settled the case when someone said you were cooking the books, is that right?”
Mendelson said there are statistics that affirm a reduction in crime.
“Is Mr. Pemberton lying – head of the FOP?” Jordan asked.
“Yes,” Mendelson said.
“Wow!” Jordan replied.
Those weren’t the only confrontational moments. In an exchange with Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) over police funding, Bowser said, “We want the money because it was approved by this Congress and it’s our money.”
While ranking Democrat on the committee Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California) began his remarks by defending D.C., he quickly shifted to criticizing President Donald Trump.
“President Trump is obsessed with trying to run Washington, D.C. If President Trump wants to run Washington, D.C., he should resign as president and run for mayor,” he said. […] Some of the worst crime and corruption in D.C. is actually found at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
Attorney General Brian Schwalb took aim at the impact of U.S. Customs and Enforcement activity in D.C.
“Sending masked agents in unmarked cars to pick people off the streets, flooding our neighborhoods with National Guardsmen who are untrained in local policing, attempting a takeover of our local police force – none of these are durable, longlasting solutions for driving crime down,” he said.
Committee Chairman James Comer kept his focus for much of his time on D.C. crime.
“The purpose of this hearing is to try to determine solutions,” he said.
On her way out, Bowser called the hearing “disgraceful.”
Pemberton said in a statement that there are three active investigations into D.C. police crime data: one by the House Oversight Committee, one by the Justice Department and a third by the Metropolitan Police Department.
“I hope that Chairman Mendelson has time to correct or amend his testimony, before he himself is investigated for perjury and lying to Congress,” Pemberton said.
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