[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NATIONAL GUARD HOME RULE ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 2, 2025

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia 
National Guard Home Rule Act, which would give the mayor of the 
District of Columbia control over the D.C. National Guard. 
Representative Jamie Raskin is the co-lead of this bill in the House, 
and Senator Chris Van Hollen is the sponsor of this bill in the Senate.
  The governors of the states and territories control their National 
Guards while the president controls the D.C. National Guard. This bill 
would give the D.C. mayor, who knows D.C. better than the president, 
the same control over the D.C. National Guard that the governors of the 
states and territories have over their National Guards. The president 
would have the same authority to federalize the D.C. National Guard 
that the president has to federalize the National Guards of the states 
and territories.
  The attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, the events at 
Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020, and the current deployment of the 
D.C. National Guard in D.C. are prime examples of why the D.C. mayor 
should control the D.C. National Guard. During January 6th, the D.C. 
National Guard was not deployed to the Capitol for several hours, 
likely costing lives and prolonging the attack. At Lafayette Square, 
the D.C. National Guard forcibly removed peaceful protestors. 
Currently, the D.C. National Guard is deployed in D.C. in response to a 
crime emergency declared by President Trump.
  Not only does presidential control over the D.C. National Guard 
violate D.C. home rule, it also may create a loophole in the Posse 
Comitatus Act, which limits the military's involvement in civilian law 
enforcement. The Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel has 
opined that when the D.C. National Guard is operating for non-federal 
purposes, even though it is an exclusively federal entity, it may be 
used for civilian law enforcement without violating the Posse Comitatus 
Act.
  In the 117th Congress, the House passed this bill as part of the 
fiscal year (FY) 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the 
FY 2023 NDAA.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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