Senator Ankit Jain: House Vote to Override Non-Citizen Voting and Police Reform Bills is an Assault on D.C. Home Rule

(Washington, D.C.)—United States Senator Ankit Jain (D-D.C.) issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives’ passage of two bills that override D.C. laws allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections and improving police accountability and transparency.

H.R. 884 would repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-242) which allows D.C. residents who are not U.S. citizens but who are not registered to vote in another country to participate and vote in local elections for offices like Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs). Similar laws exist in San Francisco, CA; Winooski, VT; and Takoma Park, MD. H.R. 2096 would repeal D.C.’s police reforms that take police discipline out of the collective bargaining process, increase the statute of limitations for holding officers accountable for misconduct, and increase transparency around misconduct investigations.

“Today’s vote is a direct assault on D.C. Home Rule and the principle of local self-government. These two votes are about politics, not public safety or election integrity. They are part of a larger Republican strategy to turn D.C. into a guinea pig for their far-right agenda. Senate Republicans’ disregard for D.C. autonomy is further demonstrated by their obstruction of any attempt to pass the D.C. Local Funds Act despite having time in their schedule to address this bill. If they can strip power from D.C.’s elected leaders today, they will try again elsewhere tomorrow,” U.S. Senator Ankit Jain said.

After the vote, Jingwen Sun, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC 5B03 and a legal permanent resident who would be removed from office if H.R. 884 passed, said, “If D.C. residents disagree with a law or an official, they have the power to repeal laws and the power to recall elected officials. D.C.’s home rule isn’t just about one city—it’s about defending the broader principle that voters should decide what’s best for their communities.”

Sen. Jain added, “Our non-citizen neighbors pay taxes, participate in civic life, and contribute to the culture and community of D.C. The law does not affect federal elections and has clear guardrails to ensure voters are committed to their communities here in the District. If this bill passes through the Senate, ANCs who were elected by their communities like Commissioner Sun will be removed and deregistered, leaving residents without representation. And because this is an unpaid position, many of these seats could sit vacant for years. Repealing non-citizen voting will hurt all District residents, not just those who gained the right to participate in local elections through this law.”

“Despite data showing that crime in the District is going down, the House has also decided to target D.C.’s common-sense police accountability legislation. We don’t need a federal override of our criminal justice policies that are working. We need Congress and the President to give us a U.S. Attorney focused on prosecuting violent crime and to fill our numerous open judicial positions. Repealing this law would give bad cops a break and undo policies designed to keep our communities safe. It’s not just wrong—it’s reckless,” said Senator Jain.

“I worked hard to rally opposition in the House against these bills. While I’m disappointed at the outcome of today’s votes, I want to thank the over 148 House Democrats who stood with D.C. today on both votes. I am proud of the work my office has done to ensure that fewer Democrats voted Yes on this bill than on the last repeal bill. This is just the beginning of this fight; my office will continue to push the Senate to respect D.C. Home Rule, and I’m confident that we’ll have the votes to filibuster both measures. This is not just about Home Rule, but about democracy and the fundamental right of Washingtonians to govern themselves. We will also continue to fight to make D.C. our 51st state, because until we pass statehood we will never be safe from these bad-faith attacks by Congress.”