WASHINGTON –Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced the Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act in the Senate and House, named after District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. In response to the mayor and city council’s failure to prevent violent crime, corruption, and voting by non-citizens, the bill would repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act one year after passage. Congress has the authority to manage the nation’s capital according to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is the lead sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives.

“The corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nation’s capital for decades,” said Sen Lee. “It is long past time that Congress restored the honor and integrity of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.” 

"The radically progressive regime of D.C. Mayor Bowser has left our nation's Capital in crime-ridden shambles.” said Rep. Ogles. “Washington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness. Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city. As such, it seems appropriate for Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority and restore the nation's Capital. The epicenter of not only the United States Federal Government but also the world geopolitics cannot continue to be a cesspool of Democrats' failed policies.”

Failures of governance in the District of Columbia include:

• A long history of official corruption, including the recent federal bribery charges against Councilman Trayon White 
• Repeated armed carjackings and violence by teenage gangs, including vicious filmed beatings on public transit 
• Assaults and robberies on Congressional staffers and Members of Congress
• Soft-on-crime policies encouraging criminals to victimize innocent Americans
• Allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections
• Oppressive, backwards regulations leading to a high cost of living

You can read the Text of the BOWSER Act HERE.

You can read the One Pager HERE.