I’m sure there’s a factual answer, but since this post is in Politics and Elections the answer is: “it doesn’t matter.” Even if the bill would be, on net, more effective in deterring and punishing crimes, it will still contain individual provisions that can be portrayed as “soft on crime.” One of the major GOP talking points is that the bill will apparently lower maximum sentences for carjacking and armed robbery. If you’re having to explain how “yes, but that’s only one facet of a complex overhaul of the administration of justice. . .” then you’re already losing.
Biden has a well-tuned ear for what will resonate with the political center, and he obviously senses “soft on crime” rhetoric as a vulnerability for the party and himself. Him saying that he will sign before it even comes to a vote in the Senate is him giving cover to vulnerable Senate Democrats running in red or purple states to vote for it to cover their flank. I wouldn’t be surprised if the resolution ends up pulling a dozen Democrat “ayes.”
I used to live in DC too. They need to make that place a state because the way its configured is just crazy. It’s not a city, not a state, but a District. Letting people that do not live in that district (Congressional members) control that place is a horrible idea.
The mayor and district council are just figureheads, every law they put into place can be overridden by people in Congress, people who do not reside in D.C. They just work there. People who pay taxes in D.C. pay the highest Federal taxes of any state, but they do not have any say regarding the laws, as Congress does that. Talk about taxation without representation.
Somebody needs to do something about the crime, period. I was almost mugged three times there, and successfully mugged once on those streets. I’m a big city guy w/ big city awareness, and this has never happened to me anywhere BUT D.C. Like a lot of people, I rode the Metro to and from work. After a while, you got to see the same crowd queuing up at the Pentagon bus terminal to transfer after getting off Metro. When someone would go missing, people were afraid to mention it. After a while, the missing people would show up, many of them sporting casts or bandages from being mugged. One guy was mugged and had an arm broken at an ATM in Dupont Circle in the daytime, and that was generally considered to be a safe area!
For those keeping track – the resolution passed the Senate 81-14. That’s 33 Democrats (2/3 of the Democratic caucus) joining the Republicans to overturn DC’s crime bill. “Independent” Senator Kristen Sinema voted for the resolution. Georgia Senator Rafael Warnock – for some reason – voted “present.”