DC Vote Condemns Congressional Attempt to Eliminate DC’s Traffic Safety Program
On Saturday, a delegation of DC residents will travel to Rep. Perry’s district in Harrisburg, PA to ask residents about the top issues on their minds. Probably not DC traffic.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC (March 17, 2026) – DC Vote issued the following statement today in opposition to H.R. 5525, the Stop DC CAMERA Act, introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-10), which would eliminate all 547 automated traffic enforcement cameras in the District and repeal DC’s right-turn-on-red ban. This bill is expected to be marked up this Wednesday in the House Oversight Committee.
Rep. Perry has long spearheaded an effort to repeal DC’s traffic safety program. According to the Washingtonian, his “ire is at least in part inspired by personal frustration.”
On Saturday, March 21, DC Vote will lead a delegation of DC residents to Rep. Perry’s district in Harrisburg, PA to ask his constituents about the top issues on their minds and what keeps them up at night. Will it be DC traffic laws? Details are available here.
Below is a statement from Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, about the proposed legislation.
“No other American city has to deal with members of Congress from other parts of the country trying to interfere with local traffic policies. If the District of Columbia were a state and 700,000 residents had the full democratic rights of residents in every other state, this wouldn’t even be an issue.
“Don’t members of Congress from other parts of the country have something better to do for the residents they represent? We haven’t personally surveyed residents in their areas yet, but we wonder what might be the top issues on their minds. Guessing that local DC roads are not even on their radar. While Congress should be focused on the real challenges facing American families, it is instead micromanaging the traffic laws of a city whose residents have no vote in Congress.
“This is part of a troubling pattern of Congress using the District as a political battleground. Congress should not interfere in DC’s local affairs beyond what the Constitution permits it to do in any other state. We urge Congress to reject H.R. 5525 and affirm that DC residents deserve the same right to self-governance as every other American community.
“Over 700,000 Americans live in Washington, DC. They pay federal taxes, serve in the military, and contribute to the economic and civic life of our country, yet are denied full democratic rights and have no voting representation in Congress. DC’s elected leaders should determine how local traffic policies are structured in their city, not members of Congress who do not represent DC residents. Yet at a time when Americans are grappling with rising costs and urgent national challenges, the District is once again being used as a political distraction while the real concerns of working families go unaddressed.”
###
About DC Vote
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.