DC to pull new crime law; impact on Senate vote unclear

By ASHRAF KHALIL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the D.C. Council says he is withdrawing the capital city’s new criminal code from consideration, just before a U.S. Senate vote that seemed likely to overturn the measure. But it’s unclear if the action will prevent the vote or spare President Joe Biden a politically charged decision on whether to endorse the congressional action. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced the withdrawal Monday morning, a rare move that he said wasn’t prohibited under Washington’s Home Rule authority. Congress reviews all newly passed D.C. laws under the Home Rule arrangement, and frequently alters or limits them through budget riders. But the criminal code rewrite seemed set to be the first law in decades to be completely overturned.