Lindsey Michaud, Author at DC Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

DC Vote Sounds Alarm on Expansion of National Guard Deployment in Washington, DC

Warns DC is a testing ground for federal overreach

Washington, DC (June 8, 2026) – Following is a statement from Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, on news reports that an additional 1,500, or more, National Guard members are expected to be deployed by the Trump Administration into Washington, DC in advance of the July 4th holiday.

“Doubling the number of National Guard troops in DC is not a public safety strategy—it is a dangerous escalation of the federal takeover of our city. The District is being used as a testing ground for federal overreach and the erosion of local self-government, and the rest of the country should be paying close attention. As the nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of American democracy, the Administration is choosing to send thousands more troops into a city whose nearly 700,000 residents are still denied full representation and the full right to govern themselves. That contradiction should concern every American.

“The facts do not justify this escalation. Independent analysis of the current deployment found no measurable reduction in violent crime, yet the Administration is now seeking to double down on a policy that has failed to produce the results it promised. DC residents deserve real public safety solutions, accountable local leadership, and the same democratic rights as every other American—not more federal control.

“DC Vote is calling on governors across the country not to send their National Guard troops to our city. Governors should not allow their Guard members to be used to advance a federal takeover of a city whose residents have no voting representation in the body making these decisions. State leaders who believe in democracy and local control should stand with DC residents and reject this unprecedented expansion of federal power.

”The events unfolding in DC are yet another reminder that the only lasting solution is DC statehood. Until DC residents have the same rights, representation, and self-governing authority as every other American, our communities will remain vulnerable to political interference from leaders we did not elect and cannot hold accountable.”

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Founded in 1998, DC Vote is a national citizen engagement and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and securing equality for all in the District of Columbia. Learn more at www.DCVote.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, [email protected]

New “DC ROADS Act” Continues Pattern of Congressional Interference in Local DC Transportation Policy

WASHINGTON, DC (May 19, 2026) — DC Vote today condemned H.R. 8801, the “DC ROADS Act,” introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), calling the legislation yet another attempt by Congress to override the will of 700,000 District residents and interfere in decisions that should be made by locally elected leaders. The bill is expected to be marked up by the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform tomorrow.

The legislation would prohibit the District of Columbia from implementing congestion pricing and would amend the DC Home Rule Act to permanently strip the DC Council of the authority to enact such a policy in the future. DC Vote says the bill is part of a broader pattern of congressional overreach into the District’s local affairs.

“This bill says a lot more about congressional overreach than it does about transportation policy,” said Amy Vruno, DC Vote Executive Director. “Rep. Perry is at it again spending time on local DC issues rather than the priorities of the Pennsylvania residents of his district. We recently traveled to Rep. Perry’s district and spoke directly with his constituents. They had many pressing issues on their minds, affordability, war, fuel and fertilizer prices and more. It won’t surprise you that not one person we interviewed mentioned anything about local roads nearly 100 miles away in DC. When we told them about Perry’s attempts to overturn local DC road laws, PA residents’ reactions ranged from confusion, laughter, frustration to disgust. Rep. Perry should focus on serving the people who elected him instead of trying to micromanage a city he does not represent.”

Rep. Perry previously introduced legislation targeting DC’s automated traffic enforcement cameras, continuing what DC Vote describes as a sustained effort to strip District residents of control over their own streets and public safety policies.

In March, DC Vote brought a delegation of District residents to Rep. Perry’s district in Harrisburg, PA, to speak directly with his constituents about his focus on DC traffic laws. Residents there overwhelmingly said they did not believe eliminating DC traffic cameras was a priority for their community. One Harrisburg resident summed it up bluntly: “I can’t imagine it’ll be on the radar at all. What do I care about DC traffic?” You can watch the full video interviews and find B-roll and photos to use in your reporting here.

The delegation came shortly after the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform advanced Perry’s earlier anti-DC traffic camera legislation. DC Vote argued then — as it does now — that no other city in America faces this level of federal interference in local transportation policy.

“No other American city has to deal with members of Congress from entirely different states trying to dictate how their streets are managed. DC residents deserve the exact same right.” Vruno added.

DC Vote also warned that H.R. 8801 represents a dangerous escalation because it would permanently amend the Home Rule Act itself, limiting the District’s authority well beyond a temporary appropriations rider.

“Every time Congress chips away at DC’s local authority, it reinforces why statehood is necessary,” Vruno said. “District residents are capable of making decisions about their own streets, transportation systems, and public safety — just like every other community in America.”

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About DC Vote

The bill shows what happens when more than 700,000 DC residents are denied any representation in Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC (April 21, 2026) – As the House Appropriations Committee prepares to vote this week on fiscal year 2027 funding for the District of Columbia, DC Vote is calling the measure an unacceptable attack on DC self-government. The bill would use Congress’s control over the District budget to override locally enacted laws on reproductive health, gun and traffic safety, climate policy, criminal justice reform, and more.

“This bill is a stark reminder that DC residents are still forced to live under a system in which lawmakers we do not elect can override the decisions of the people who do live in the District,” said Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote. “Congress is not simply debating federal spending. It is reaching into DC’s local affairs to nullify laws passed by our elected government and funded by our own local tax dollars. DC is already a donor jurisdiction, meaning DC residents pay more in federal taxes than we receive in federal funding services.”

“Many of the laws targeted in this bill were debated and passed by DC’s locally elected government—officials chosen by DC residents through free and fair elections. Congress is now attempting to repeal or defund those laws without a single vote from a DC resident. This is one of the most sweeping attacks on DC self-governance we have seen in years. It must stop.”

Below are some of the ways the House is trying to impose its will on DC residents without their consent:

Climate and Environment

Would block DC from enforcing its adoption of vehicle emission standards, undermining efforts to reduce pollution and protect public health.
Would block DC’s attorney general from using consumer protection laws to pursue oil and gas companies for environmental misrepresentation or deception, shielding polluters from accountability.

Gun Safety

Would declare that anyone with a concealed carry permit from any state, regardless of how easy or strict that state’s permitting standards are, can carry a loaded concealed weapon anywhere in DC and on the Metro system, effectively nullifying DC’s strict gun laws.

Policing Accountability and Criminal Justice Reform

Would block DC from implementing its Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, the landmark 2022 law that included use-of-force restrictions, body camera requirements, civilian oversight, and limits on police union bargaining over discipline.
Would repeal youth sentencing protections that allowed young adults up to age 24 to be treated as youth offenders eligible for rehabilitation rather than harsh adult mandatory minimums, meaning more young people would face harsher sentences.

Reproductive Rights and Gender Justice

Would repeal DC’s Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act. This shield law protects patients, doctors, and providers from out-of-state legal actions for receiving or providing reproductive and gender-affirming care that is legal in DC. Without this protection, providers could face legal jeopardy for delivering care that is entirely lawful in DC.
Would block the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act, which prohibits employers from firing or penalizing employees for reproductive health decisions made outside of work, including the use of contraception, fertility treatment, or abortion.
Would block the Insurance Regulation Amendment Act of 2024, stripping insurance coverage protections for reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.

Transportation Safety

Would eliminate DC’s automated traffic camera program—the same policy targeted by H.R. 5525—but through the appropriations process. See DC Vote’s statement on this, here.
Would block the enforcement of DC’s right-turn-on-red ban, a pedestrian and cyclist safety measure.

Policing Accountability and Criminal Justice Reform

Would block DC from implementing its Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act, the landmark 2022 law that included use-of-force restrictions, body camera requirements, civilian oversight, and limits on police union bargaining over discipline.
Would repeal youth sentencing protections that allowed young adults up to age 24 to be treated as youth offenders eligible for rehabilitation rather than harsh adult mandatory minimums, meaning more young people would face harsher sentences.

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About DC Vote