Tag Archives: donald-trump

October 29, 2025 · 9:35 am

Office of DC Attorney General Under Seige, AG Schwalb Tells ANC Committee

L-R, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb; Commissioner Brian Gorman, Chair, ANC6B Public Safety Committee; Commissioner Sam Pastore. 

Office of DC Attorney General Under Seige, AG Schwalb Tells ANC Committee

by Larry Janezich

Posted October 28, 2025

DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb attended ANC6B’s Public Safety Committee meeting Monday night.  He summarized what his office does for the city:  serving as its law firm, serving as a public advocate defending and protecting the public interest, and protecting public safety – which he said was broader than prosecuting crime.

He defended the independence of the Attorney General’s Office noting that “our Mayor has never been a fan of an independent Attorney General” but it’s a necessary check on executive power.  Currently, he said, his office was very much under siege and an attack from the federal government.  For example, after filing lawsuits against the federal government for taking over the MPD and deploying out-of-state National Guard in the city, Schwalb said a member of congress introduced a bill – in collaboration with the White House – to change the independent elected DC attorney general to a presidential appointed attorney general with no Senate confirmation.  The proposed law would make the attorney general accountable to the President – which allows for the office to be weaponized.  The bill has passed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and will come up on the House floor at the discretion of the Speaker of the House.

He cited another bill which reflects the administration’s hostility to the District – supposedly in the interest of public safety which Schwalb termed a “ruse” used to attack home rule – the Judicial Nominations Reform Act which would abolish the District’s Judicial Nomination Commission which currently vets and recommends candidates for DC’s local courts.  The bill would shift shift this power to the President with confirmation by the Senate.

He also pointed to the House of Representatives’ passage of the Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act that would – at the discretion of the US Attorney General – lower the age from 16 to 14 for prosecution of District juveniles as adults for some violent crimes, including murder, first-degree sexual assault, first-degree burglary, and robbery while armed or assault with intent to commit any of these offenses.

Schwalb criticized the District’s bifurcated criminal justice system which provides for the prosecution of adults by the District’s US Attorney and juveniles by the DC Attorney General.  He says we need a local prosecutor accountable to the people of the District.

He said that there are 16 bills* before Congress that would change the way home rule operates in the District and debate on all of them is on-going.  He urged residents to support home rule. 

Appearing under a time constraint, Schwalb took several questions from members of the public and the Public Safety Committee.  On the issue of enforcement against reckless moped drivers, he offered criminal prosecution where warranted and a potential investigation of the questionable operation of problematic third party providers – neither suggestion provided much satisfaction to the father of a child who had received a concussion from a recklessly operated food delivery moped.  (See CHC post here:  http://bit.ly/3WtcTW0 )  Similarly, he could not offer much insight with respect to a question about the performance of Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services owing to the “difficulty in measuring recidivism,” or much hope with respect to a question of progress on renovating the DC Jail, noting “it’s in our interest to get jail repaired – but not easy with tight dollars.”

*In addition to the bills affecting home rule mentioned by Schwalb, some of the other 16 bills pending in Congress which would affect DC home rule include:

  • Repeal of policing legislation: Overturns police reform legislation the D.C. Council passed after the murder of George Floyd.
  • D.C. Policing Protection Act: Expands the circumstances under which police officers are allowed to engage in vehicular pursuits.
  • Amendments to the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act:  Would eliminate judicial discretion to sentence eligible youth offenders below a mandatory minimum and restrict youth offender status for individuals convicted of certain crimes. 
  • Repeal of the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act: Nullifies a D.C. law that allows juveniles to petition for early release after serving 15 years.
  • Bail system overhaul: Requires pretrial detention for anyone charged with a “violent or dangerous offense,” including some felony drug charges, and brings back the use of cash bail for certain crimes.
  • Criminalizing homelessness: Makes it illegal to sleep in public places, including in a car.

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August 19, 2025 · 7:45 pm

The Response:  Local Opposition to The Occupation – Now Including National Guards from 6 States

Sunday, August 17, 11:30am on H Street, NE. Of all the federal law enforcement agents deployed on DC streets, the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) – which falls under the Department of Homeland Security – have garnered the most negative attention.  Masked ICE agents have executed aggressive enforcement actions and conducted many arrests.  Video credit: Nicky Sundt

The Response:  Local Opposition to The Occupation – Now Including National Guards from 6 States

by Larry Janezich

Posted August 19, 2025

Many readers of Capitol Hill Corner will be wondering how and where to invest their time and resources to respond to the Occupation of DC ordered by the Trump Administration.

This post, which will be updated, serves as a guide to local groups organizing on-the-ground actions designed to make visible and more effective the opposition of DC residents to the Trump Administration’s violation of DC Home Rule. 

Background

On August 11, the Trump Administration invoked a statutory emergency power and announced a takeover of the MPD in the District.  To augment this assertion of authority, the Administration deployed the DC National Guard as well as federal law enforcement, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Included in that deployment was the Department of Homeland Security, under which falls the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.  Since the August 11 order, six other states have responded to DOD request to send National Guard personnel to DC, including Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee, totaling more than 1000 troops. 

The Response

FreeDC has become the leading organization which is taking direct action to oppose the federalization of law enforcement and the deployment of National Guard to DC.

Free DC is a fiscally sponsored special project of Community Change, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and Community Change Action, a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization.

The organization has teams operating in all 8 Wards and has a long history of advocacy for DC Statehood and in 2023 organized a campaign in response to Congress’s overturning the DC Revised Criminal Code Act. In 2025 it organized the response to the House of Representative’s refusal to routinely authorize the city to spend $1 billion of its own revenue for city services during the remainder of the current fiscal year. 

Here are some of FreeDC’s recommendations about what to do to oppose the Occupation:

  • Organize:  Sign up with FreeDC. Visit FreeDC’s website for a calendar of events, a link to merch, and news.  Join specific campaigns and get involved.   https://freedcproject.org/    
  • Participate in FreeDC’s orientation presentations.  Get training.  Get educated.  Know your rights. 
  • Join the effort to lobby members of Congress in person, by email, or by phone.
  • Make FreeDC visible everywhere:  Make signs and posters – wear t shirts and buttons.  See FreeDC Official Merch here:  https://bit.ly/41b8LwO
  • Stay informed. Join the FreeDC communication network.
  • Urge residents and elected officials:  “Don’t obey in advance.”
  • Currently, FreeDC has no direct action planned.

Ward 6 Democrats have also launched several activities to respond to the gross violation of DC home rule, including:

  • Distributing info from the ACLU-DC, FreeDC, and the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network.
  • Urging residents to follow FreeDC’s suggested actions, including talking with your friends and family outside of DC and encouraging them to call their elected officials opposing the administration’s current efforts to take over law enforcement in the District.
  • Join the Monthly Statehood Committee Call on Wednesday, August 20.  The Statehood Committee will share the latest on what’s happening in our community, discuss what we can do and work on a plan for what to do next.
  • Time: 6:30 – 7:30pm

Location: Virtual, Zoom link provided upon registration

RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/dcdems/event/829386/   

  • Join Ward 6 Democrats, which is free to any registered Democrat living in Ward 6. The organization does suggest a one-time donation of $51 or a monthly donation of $6. Go here:  https://www.ward6dems.org/

Resources to help keep you informed:

Some other organizations which have participated in public debates and/or offered support and advice include:

  • Defending Democracy/Capitol Hill Village
  • Neighbors United for DC Statehood
  • Ward Six Serve Your City Mutual Aid
  • ACLU-DC
  • DC Vote
  • Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network
  • Black Swan Academy
  • Vera Action 
  • Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic
  • DC Justice Lab 
  • Alliance for Concerned Men 

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May 14, 2025 · 5:27 pm

CM Kenyan McDuffie on His Support for a New Stadium at RFK

by Larry Janezich

Posted, May 14, 2025

CM At-Large Kenyan McDuffie at Mr. Henry’s last night.

CM Kenyan McDuffie on His Support for a New Stadium at RFK

by Larry Janezich

Posted, May 14, 2025

Last night, CM At-Large Kenyan McDuffie appeared before a group of Ward Six Democrats upstairs at Mr. Henry’s on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. 

In remarks, McDuffie expressed frustration on how long it’s taking to produce a budget owing to Congressional inaction to authorize DC to spend its own funds for the current FY.  He also expressed concern over the expected loss of $1 billion in city revenue over the next three FYs because of reductions in the federal workforce. 

Afterward, he made himself available for informal discussions with attendees. 

An audience member questioned McDuffie’s support for Mayor’s proposal to build a new NFL stadium to replace RFK, asking him if he is aware of any empirical evidence that a new stadium would provide new revenue or economic benefit for the city in light of economists’ assessment that there is none.  (Mayor Bowser wants the city council to approve spending $850 million in public funds for infrastructure to support a new stadium with the Washington Commanders covering the cost of building the stadium.)

McDuffie responded, “I guess my evidence that a stadium is good for DC would be what we see at Nats Stadium, what we see at Audi Field, what we see at Capital One Arena.” 

In a follow-up, he was asked, “So, you can point to (those developments) as maybe a catalyst for supporting that sort of investment.  What are you seeing at RFK that indicates that’s a similar situation?”

McDuffie replied, “What I’m seeing at RFK is 180 acres of dormant land that has been sitting idle for decades.  I’m seeing a lot of asphalt that’s collecting dust and it’s in extreme disrepair.   What I saw as a child growing up in the city were areas around SE and the Navy Yard and the Waterfront  that needed investment.  What I saw in the areas around SW was my friends who went to high school with me at Woodrow Wilson were communities that were starving for community service amenities that other parts of the city had.  What we have today (in those areas) that didn’t exist before are events coming out of those facilities that are supporting a lot of businesses around it that are giving job opportunities to residents and for small businesses the opportunity to service what is happening in and those neighborhoods. “

The Ward 6 Democrats website carries a notice inviting neighbors to a Fireside Chat on the Future of RFK:  Monday, June 2, at The Strand Restaurant, 131 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE.  The event is sponsored by: The Hill Rag and East of the River Newspapers, The Ward 6 Democrats, and The Ward 7 Democrats. 

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April 9, 2025 · 4:40 pm

CM Allen Says City Faces Tough Economic Choices

CM Charles Allen briefing ANC6B last night on the DC Budget. 

CM Charles Allen on Monday morning in Spirit of Justice Park behind the Longworth House Office Building where FreeDC volunteers gathered before heading inside to lobby Members of Congress.  On Allen’s left are LaJoy Johnson-Law, Ward 8 State Board of Education member and Jacque Patterson, President of the State Board of Education. 

CM Allen Says City Faces Tough Economic Choices

by Larry Janezich

Posted April 9, 2025

Tuesday night, Council Member Charles Allen gave ANC6B a sobering report on the current economic situation facing the city. 

The city is facing two pressure points:  The inability of the US House of Representatives to fix their mistake in forgetting to authorize DC to spend $1 billion of its own to fund its operational budget for personnel and city services.  (If DC just went ahead and spent the money which has not been authorized it would be breaking the law.)  Second, the projected $1 billion shortfall in revenues over the next three years resulting from the thousands of residents who have lost their federal jobs and the economic fallout therefrom as the result of the administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.   

With respect to the first pressure point, Allen says he does not foresee the House acting to fix their mistake before it leaves for a two week recess at the close of business on Thursday.  Cuts in personnel and services will not start immediately but the undetermined date is fast approaching when the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will inform the Mayor that she has to start making cuts.  The Mayor will have to submit a Supplemental Budget to the city council recommending those cuts.  Allen says, “To cut $1 billion from a $17 billion budget will be devastating…it will mean furloughs, personnel cuts, cuts in city operations and bus and Metro service.”  The police and fire departments will suffer hiring freezes – first responders could be furloughed.  Public and charter schools will be subject to staff and operational cuts – an extreme example is that the school week could be cut to 3 or four days. 

On Monday, Allen was part of the local advocacy group FreeDC’s call to action to lobby members of the House to pass the Senate-passed bill to fix the spending glitch which has been held for some three weeks at the Speaker’s desk.  This means under House Rules, it will take a two-thirds vote of the House (288) to take it up for consideration, and a simple majority of the House to pass it.  Though the bill has the support of the President and – reportedly – the chair of the House Appropriations Committee – it appears to be stalled by members of the Freedom Caucus.  Some speculate that some House members want to place conditions on DC as part of an agreement to move the bill forward. 

Allen’s team visited five Congressional offices.  He said the Republican offices were polite but he did not detect a sense of urgency.  He said he got a “warmer response from Democratic offices, but none of them felt like their hair was on fire about how this was a crushing and urgent problem”.   By the end of the day, FreeDC volunteers had visited 283 members’ offices. 

Regarding the second pressure point, Allen noted that the FY 2026 Budget process – which should have launched at the beginning of April – has not, because the Mayor is waiting on a resolution regarding  the $1 billion being held up in the House which otherwise will have to be taken into consideration in the budget for the next fiscal year. 

Assuming that gets resolved and the 2026 FY Budget process moves forward, it will have to take into account the CFO’s projection of $1 billion in lower revenue over the next three years resulting from a reduction in the federal workforce.  That will amount to a cut of around $300 million in each of the next three fiscal years.  Those cuts will come in the face of increasing costs.  Allen said, “We are facing a difficult budgeting…..We will be reducing city services and I don’t like doing that….But if the budget is balanced on the most vulnerable it is not a budget I can support.  There will be a reduction in services and benefits and every part of the city will have to be a part of what this tough moment will realize.”

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April 6, 2025 · 11:15 am

Photo Essay: Hands Off Rally – National Mall

by Larry Janezich

Posted April 6, 2025

An Anti-Trump “Hands Off” rallies occurred in all 50 states on Saturday.  The “Hands Off” rally on the National Mall was centered at the Sylvan Theater but much of the Mall and the grounds of the Washington Monument was occupied by demonstrators.  At 2:00pm the rally was scheduled to end and the crowd had begun to thin a little.  Organizers had said it might go a bit longer. 

There were streams of departing participants lining up to board the Metro at the Smithsonian stop and on Independence Avenue hundreds of people were headed for the Metro.  But there was a sea of people still on the grounds of the Washington Monument and speakers were still addressing the crowd. 

The crowd in front of the Sylvan Theater was so dense that organizers were stationed to direct people pressing toward the stage that it was too crowded and asked people who were approaching the stage to go back the way they came and climb the hill toward the Monument for a view of the theater.    

From the base of the Washington Monument, one could see that the crowd extended toward the Capitol Building.

The crowd was multi-generational and the mood was friendly as people seemed reassured by the willingness of such a large number of protesters to turn out – a crowd much larger than anticipated by organizers.  Originally, the number of estimated attendees was 20,000 – projected from the number of responses to organizers’ request that participants register.  Later, organizers said the number of attendees was five times the expected number.  It was apparent from the large numbers of people still on the Mall at 2:00pm that the expected number had been vastly exceeded. 

Some wore costumes – including Abe Lincoln and the Statue of Liberty – or carried protest signs and banners and flew the United States flag as a distress signal. 

There were individuals, couples, families, and groups of friends.  There were a few people with dogs and a few couples with infants in baby carriages.  There were small individual demonstrations everywhere throughout the crowd. Here’s some video of one of them.

Here’s a list of sponsoring organizations.  https://handsoff2025.com/about-1

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March 3, 2025 · 4:53 pm

Free DC Mobilizes to Protect DC Home Rule

Free DC Mobilizes to Protect DC Home Rule

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 3, 2025

Here’s the scene at As You Are on Sunday afternoon, as attendees listen to Free DC organizer Alex Dodds.

Here’s a detail of Dodds rallying the crowd.

A Free DC volunteer makes signs for the campaign.

Sunday afternoon, Free DC held its first Ward 6 meeting on Barracks Row’s at As You Are.  Event organizer Alex Dodds said that the purpose of the gathering to kick off the Home Rule effort was a and introduction and a “celebration with our Ward Six team.” More than a hundred supporters crowded into the second story of As You Are to express solidarity, interact, and to cheer approval as they listened to Dodds assert DC’s right to self-determination.     

Asked for comment, Dodds said “Free DC is a new campaign to protect home rule and win dignity for people in communities of the District. Free DC is organizing in all eight wards, mobilizing people to protect ourselves from this administration and this congress.” The movement, she said, “started two years ago during the overturning of the Revised Criminal Code – Congress disapproved of a DC law for the first time in over 30 years, and no matter how you felt about that legislation, we felt very strongly that it was the right and responsibility of the people of the DC to decide the laws here.  So a lot of the organizers who are involved now first started organizing two years ago when that happened. “

As for next steps, Dodds said, “For anyone interested in joining our effort you can come to one of our campaign organizing meetings – we provide an overview of our strategy and how to get involved.  They happen every other week alternating in person and on line.”  The next Ward Six meeting is Tuesday, March 11th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm in North East Library.    

Free DC is a special non-profit project of Community Change, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and Community Change Action, a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization.  It’s co-founders are Alex Dodds, founder and lead strategist for the public relations and campaign firm Worthy Studio; Nee Nee Taylor, Executive Director of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams;  Kelsey Adams, co- director of DC Vote; and Keya Chattergee, member, Evergreen Advisory and Governing Boards and Executive Director of US Climate Action Network.

For more info, go here:  https://freedcproject.org/about

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