Catch me up quick: Congress vs. D.C.

It’s already been a breathless week within the smackdown between the Hill and hometown D.C. For my politics column this week, I attempted to make sense of all of it with Kristen Hinman, Axios Native’s mid-Atlantic bureau chief.

Kristen: D.C. lawmakers actually appeared to give up to federal Washington this week by attempting to yank again that prison code invoice. What was that each one about?

Cuneyt: Over the weekend, I began getting texts from Wilson Constructing sources that D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson was mulling over one thing by no means earlier than tried — withdrawing an area invoice from Congress. However I used to be extremely skeptical. D.C. has to ship its payments to Congress for assessment; how do you simply cancel one and say you may do it over? That was nonetheless on my thoughts when Mendelson summoned the press corps on Monday to say that is precisely what he was doing.

Kristen: How did Mendelson’s transfer play?

Cuneyt: Republicans and Democrats had been fairly fast to name BS. Hill aides informed reporters that the vote was nonetheless on. Sen. Invoice Hagerty’s (R-Tenn.) workplace tells me to count on the disapproval decision to advance Wednesday.

• One line of pondering believes Senate management can push a last vote to Thursday in order that President Biden can signal it into legislation on Friday with minimal fanfare.

Kristen: What may Congress come for subsequent?

Cuneyt: There’s a whole lot of anxious discuss amongst D.C. varieties that it will be the native finances.

• Mendelson informed the Wall Avenue Journal he even worries about lawmakers swooping in to cease a avenue renaming for Marion Barry.

Kristen: Yikes. That sounds just like the D.C. of a long time in the past, pre-home rule.

Cuneyt: Proper. There’s a laundry listing of targets.

Axios’ Andrew Solender has reported {that a} Home GOP committee is speaking about meddling in our election guidelines. And there’s presently a decision within the Senate to dam a invoice permitting noncitizens to vote in native elections.

• I’m informed it has a a lot narrower likelihood of passing, for some arcane procedural causes. However noncitizen voting in D.C. may nonetheless get blocked via a finances rider later.

All of which is to say that we’re dealing with a firehose of GOP rhetoric attacking D.C.

Kristen: In different phrases, they’re teeing up 2024.

Cuneyt: The previous few weeks have in all probability simply been the curtain-raiser. Senate Republicans Tuesday put out a tough-on-crime video. Home Republicans now have their first assault advert hitting a Home Democrat over the crime legislation. Donald Trump simply said at CPAC that the feds ought to take over D.C. I don’t suppose Trump or any main presidential candidate has ever mentioned one thing like that.

Kristen: I feel I’ve heard sufficient for one week, Cuneyt!

💬 Mayor Bowser is mum on whether or not she is going to attend an activist-led “Hands Off D.C.” rally close to the Capitol on Wednesday morning. City Talker is a weekly column on native politics and energy. Drop me a line in regards to the discuss of the city: [email protected]