FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Zoe Ades, Communications Director
Councilmember Brooke Pinto issued the following statement on Congress voting to disapprove the Revised Criminal Code:
Today as we see our democratically enacted legislation being overturned by Congress, the urgency of statehood has never been clearer: the democratic rights of DC residents will continue to be used and bargained away by politicians on the Hill until we become the 51st state. The District should have, like every other state, the right to self-governance on local issues.
The hypocrisy of national politicians -- who have enabled the scourge of gun violence in our city by not passing common sense restrictions on firearms -- claiming that the criminal code revisions (many of which create penalties that are aligned with or stricter than those in their own states) are making DC less safe is frustrating, especially as we work to stem the flow of illegal guns across our borders. However, as Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I will continue to work to advance public safety to fill the gap left by Congressional inaction; that is my pledge to you.
Now, we must forge a new path forward on criminal code reform, one that advances the goal of statehood, promotes District values, and makes our communities safer. It is paramount that we come together at this pivotal moment and move forward. Thus, I will continue working with my Council colleagues, the Mayor, the Attorney General, Congresswoman Holmes Norton, and our allies in Congress to determine a realistic and strategic path forward for this important work.