Loudoun County Superintendent Aaron Spence faced pointed questions from Republican lawmakers about school system policies during a congressional hearing Wednesday, including an incident with a transgender student.

Spence was one of three administrators from different school systems who testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee.

Republicans made it clear in their comments and questions that they are skeptical of school systems that have developed special policies covering transgender students.

“If I was a parent in either of those districts, with these students, I’d consider suing for child abuse and neglect,” GOP Rep. and committee chair Tim Walberg, of Michigan, said of Loudoun County and Chicago public schools.

Democrats on the panel pushed back, arguing that Republicans are trying to distract from more profound issues affecting public schools, and major cuts to the U.S. Department of Education.

“It is irresponsible and shortsighted to leave states and localities to fend for themselves, especially when many school jurisdictions are already strapped for resources and funding,” said Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott, the committee’s ranking Democrat.

Spence was pressed by GOP lawmakers about several issues, including an incident last year at Stone Bridge High School, in which a transgender student allegedly took a video of other students in the boys’ locker room.

The incident led to a legal battle, as well as .

Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican who represents Florida’s 6th District, fired a series of questions at Spence.

“Why did the girl pretending to be a boy, who filmed the boys in their restroom, why was there no discipline for that student?” Fine asked.

“What you’ve stated is factually inaccurate,” Spence said.

Fine told Spence and the other school administrators who testified that he was glad the Florida school systems don’t put up with the “garbage” that they do.

Spence took issue with assertions from Fine and other Republicans that his school system isn’t applying common sense policies.

“We have very clear policies that would prevent filming students in our bathrooms,” Spence said.

Spence also said he and school officials take all issues raised by students and parents very seriously.

“As the superintendent it’s my job to ensure that we follow federal law, state law and locally adopted school work policies,” Spence said. “And we work with our students and with our families to do that.”

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Thousands of National Guard personnel remain on patrol in the nation’s capital and President Donald Trump says there is no plan to have them leave D.C. any time soon.

“We’re going to keep them,” he said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House this week.

The president said someone asked if there were fewer National Guard personnel in D.C. and he answered, “I hope not.”

During the meeting, he turned to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and said he wants the military men and women to remain on patrol in the District, telling him, “don’t lower the number if you don’t mind.”

Hegseth said there is a plan to surge their numbers this summer.

“They look great,” Trump said.

The administration has requested that an additional 1,500 Guard troops be deployed in D.C., ahead of the celebration of the country’s 250th birthday. That will bring the total number to 5,000 this summer.

, after he announced he was taking over the D.C. police department under a public safety emergency.

In addition to the D.C. National Guard, units have continually been sent to the District from states with Republican governors.

Some D.C. officials have questioned the need for Guard patrols and whether they actually deter crime.

Mayor Muriel Bowser has said she doesn’t think the Guard should be used to police local laws.

Guard members don’t make arrests and are often seen walking around areas of D.C. that are popular with tourists.

A report compiled earlier this year for Democratic U.S. senators estimated that the Guard deployment in D.C. costs more than $1.65 million a day.

More than two dozen states oppose National Guard DC deployment

A coalition of 26 states this week , arguing that it should uphold a lower court ruling that would block the deployment of the National Guard in D.C.

The Trump administration is appealing the lower court ruling.

The filing is supported by three governors and 23 attorneys general, including Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.

“President Trump unlawfully deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. for political theater, not for public safety,” Brown said in a statement. 鈥淥ur office will continue defending the rule of law against unlawful efforts to use military power to police American communities.”

Brown is joined in the brief by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the offices of the governors of Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

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A Virginia congressman is introducing legislation that would prevent construction of near Arlington National Cemetery.

Rep. Don Beyer, who represents the district where the arch would be located, said in a statement Wednesday that the president’s arch proposal is illegal and lacks congressional authorization.

Beyer said the arch fails to respect the families of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Trump has said he doesn’t need Congress to approve the 250-foot arch, which would be the highest of its kind in the world.

Critics say it would block views of the grave sites.

“Arlington National Cemetery is sacred ground, the resting place for some of our nation’s greatest heroes,” Beyer said. “It is unthinkable that we would desecrate this hallowed space to build a monument to Donald Trump’s ego.”

The Democratic lawmaker called the arch a “vanity project” for the president, arguing the Trump administration gave “no consideration to potential harmful effects” on the region.

Beyer also raises traffic concerns

In addition to his legislation, Beyer outlined his concerns about the arch, its construction and how it could potentially add to traffic problems near the Memorial Bridge to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Acting Director of the National Park Service Jessica Bowron.

“I write to express my grave concerns about the impacts on traffic that this project will have on my Northern Virginia constituents, and to request copies of your plans and studies for coping with the transportation disruption generated by the proposed construction,” Beyer said.

He requested any information available involving traffic studies or related documentation.

“If no such studies or documentation exist, I urge you in the strongest possible terms to immediately address potential traffic impacts arising from this project,” he said.

Beyer’s letter and legislation follow last week’s decision by , which is to be built in Memorial Circle.

All of the commission’s members were appointed by the president.

Beyer and other lawmakers have said the project is supposed to go through an extensive approval process, but the president has indicated it’s not necessary.

The National Capital Planning Commission, which considers proposals for construction on federal land, has the arch on its agenda for an upcoming June meeting.

Public comments on the arch have been overwhelmingly critical of the plan.

The cost of the arch remains unclear. President Trump has said it could be paid for with private donations leftover from .

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But lawmakers and D.C.-area residents want assurances that an environmental disaster like the one that took place in January won’t happen again.

“In your opinion, does this pipe need to be replaced?” Georgia Rep. Rick Allen asked David Gadis, CEO and general manager of D.C. Water, during a on Wednesday.

“Not the whole 54 miles needs to be replaced,” Gadis said of r, which stretches along the river from Virginia, through Maryland and into D.C. “There are segments that we feel need to be repaired and we’ve identified three of those segments.”

He said replacing the entire pipe would be a “herculean” task and indicated it would be “very, very expensive” 鈥� something ratepayers would have to help fund.

During the hearing, Gadis was asked how much the new repairs will cost, to which Gadis said they do not have an estimate “at this point in time.”

“We are mobilizing 鈥� on those three areas, but I’m not sure we have a cost estimate as of yet,” he said.

A spokesperson for D.C. Water later the current estimated cost for the repairs is $425 million.

Gadis said he hopes the National Park Service can move more quickly than it has in the past, to allow for permitting so the repairs can get underway.

“We’ve got to strike while the iron’s hot here,” Allen said, and Gadis agreed.

Could a pipe rupture happen again?

When asked if another pipe burst could take place, Gadis said given the pipe was first installed in the 1960s, he couldn’t make a flat guarantee that won’t ever happen.

“Another break could cause an issue for the Washington Aqueduct because of their intakes that they have along the river,” he said.

But he also stressed D.C. Water and federal agencies have access to technology that greatly improves the ability to isolate possible problems 鈥� much more than those available decades ago.

They can use cameras inside the pipeline as well as ground sonar to look for structural risks.

After the January break, workers encountered massive boulders which complicated efforts to repair the pipe and reroute the sewage so that more wouldn’t flow into the river. The boulders may have also contributed to the pipe’s rupture.

Despite a rapid response, a total of at least 240 million gallons of raw sewage entered the Potomac near Cabin John, Maryland, making it one of the worst spills of its kind nationwide.

Gadis testified during the hearing that D.C. Water first identified issues with the 72-inch in diameter pipe in 2018, but obtaining permits from the National Park Service took years.

The park service has said that was due, in part, to changes in the proposals over time.

On a positive note, federal officials and Gadis said there was very good cooperation among the agencies and local leaders as they reacted to the spill. And all of them pledged to do everything they can to ensure a spill of this magnitude doesn’t happen again.

While Maryland residents say they can still smell the stench from the spill, steps are being taken to mitigate it.

Also, the overall water quality of the river in the area is said to have returned to normal.

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But they were pressed by lawmakers, who remain concerned about problems revealed by the environmental disaster, which sent more than 240 million gallons of sewage into the river in January.

“What led to the collapse? Was this failure preventable? Were there warning signs that were being ignored or even missed?” asked Pennsylvania Rep. John Joyce, who chairs the House Emergency and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

The chair of the overall committee, Kentucky Rep. Brett Guthrie, had a series of questions about delays linked to an effort by D.C. Water to get a permit for replacing the pipe that eventually broke. He cited a article published earlier this year.

“I’m trying to see what do we need to fix?” he asked. “How do we do it quicker?”

“For construction permits proposed by utilities, those could be six months to a year for a construction-type permit,” said Edward Wenschhof, acting superintendent of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. “There are others that are identified as high priority.”

When Guthrie asked if the threat of the pipe bursting was imminent, Wenschhof indicated that was a matter of ongoing litigation.

The Department of Justice filed a Clean Water Act earlier this year related to the interceptor’s collapse.

David Gadis, CEO and general manager of D.C. Water, has sought to reassure the public his agency is doing all it can to move forward with repairs and monitoring of the river.

“The incident did not occur because D.C. Water ignored infrastructure challenges,鈥� Gadis said in prepared testimony. 鈥淩ather, it occurred within one of the nation鈥檚 oldest and most complex wastewater systems, a system D.C. Water has spent decades modernizing, rehabilitating and improving for the benefit of the region and the environment.”

The spill, involving a system known as the , occurred when a large pipe burst near the C&O Canal in Cabin John, Maryland.

People who live in the area complained during a Glen Echo Town Hall on Monday night that they can still smell the sewage.

One man said, 鈥淚 always open the window and it鈥檚 putrid!鈥�

Wednesday’s hearing was entitled, 鈥淐orrosion, Collapse, and Clean-Up: Examining the Potomac Interceptor Collapse.鈥�

D.C. Water is conducting daily water quality testing at 10 sampling sites through July 5.

It then plans to carry out weekly testing through Sept. 10.

D.C. Water has sought to keep the public informed about efforts to address the spill, posting .

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A congressional hearing will be held Wednesday on January’s massive sewage spill in the Potomac River and will include testimony from several key officials involved in the cleanup, project renovation and efforts to protect public health.

Among those scheduled to testify is David Gadis, CEO and general manager of D.C. Water, who has sought to reassure the public his agency is doing all it can to move forward with repairs and monitoring of the river.

“The incident did not occur because D.C. Water ignored infrastructure challenges,” Gadis said in prepared testimony. “Rather, it occurred within one of the nation鈥檚 oldest and most complex wastewater systems, a system D.C. Water has spent decades modernizing, rehabilitating and improving for the benefit of the region and the environment.”

The hearing is being conducted by the House Emergency and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

The spill, involving a system known as t, took place in January, dumping hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac.

It occurred when a large pipe burst near the C&O Canal in Cabin John, Maryland.

People who live in the area complained during a Glen Echo Town Hall on Monday night that they can still smell the sewage.

One man said, 鈥淚 always open the window and it鈥檚 putrid!鈥�

Gadis spoke to area residents at the meeting in Glen Echo on Monday.

He and several other top administrators will testify before lawmakers Wednesday.

The first part of the House hearing will include testimony from the following:

• Jessica Kramer, assistant administrator, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Col. Francis B. Pera, commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
• Edward Wenschhof, acting superintendent, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Gadis will testify in the second part of the hearing, along with Tom Neltner, national director at Unleaded Kids.

The hearing is expected to look back at the response, but also look ahead to preventing spills in the future.

The hearing is entitled, “Corrosion, Collapse, and Clean-Up: Examining the Potomac Interceptor Collapse.鈥�

D.C. Water is conducting daily water quality testing at 10 sampling sites through July 5.

It then plans to carry out weekly testing through Sept. 10.

D.C. Water has sought to keep the public informed about efforts to address the spill, .

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GOP lawmakers blasted Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, charging that the county is carrying out sanctuary city policies that give preferential treatment to those in the country illegally.

The hearing of the House Judiciary subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security and Enforcement at times became tense, as Republicans and Democrats sparred over sensitive issues at the heart of the national debate over border enforcement.

Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, criticized Democrats and accused them of trying to defund ICE.

“But Mr. Descano takes it even a step further and says I’m not even going to prosecute the guys who do terrible things,” Jordan said.

Descano said he prosecutes criminals from a wide range of backgrounds and denied he’s making residents less safe.

“Our approach to prosecution of crime has helped make Fairfax County one of the safest jurisdictions of its size in the country,” he said.

Mother of woman killed in Fairfax County testifies

The hearing comes just months after the Feb. 23 murder of Stephanie Minter, who was killed while waiting at a bus stop along Route 1 in Hybla Valley.

Abdul Jalloh, a 32-year-old immigrant from Sierra Leone, will stand trial for Minter鈥檚 murder.
During Thursday’s hearing, Descano personally expressed his condolences to Stephanie Minter’s mother Cheryl and said Jalloh is being prosecuted.

Cheryl tearfully spoke about her daughter and said she didn’t deserve to die.

“I am not here for politics. I am here for accountability. I am here because a system failed my daughter,” she said.

At one point, Republican Rep. Troy Nehls, a former sheriff who represents the 22nd District in Texas, called Descano “a disgrace.”

Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid joined Descano in defending the local policies.

“It is simply not the job of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office to engage in federal immigration enforcement,” Kincaid said.

She noted that the county does cooperate with ICE on various matters and that agents are allowed in the county’s facility “at any time.”

She and Descano said they uphold the law, but do not pursue federal matters of civil immigration enforcement.

鈥淟et me be absolutely clear. My office does not provide sanctuary or safe harbor to undocumented immigrants,鈥� Descano testified. “We routinely prosecute immigrants who commit crimes and we will continue to do so.鈥�

DOJ investigation

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice began an investigation of Descano.

In a letter to Descano, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon said the DOJ is investigating whether his office violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Safe Streets Act, which both 鈥減rohibit recipients of Federal financial assistance from discriminating based upon race, color, or national origin.鈥�

Jalloh has a long history of being arrested and released. Most recently, he was free on his own recognizance after being arrested for malicious wounding in 2025.

The policy in question was adopted by Descano鈥檚 office in 2020 as part of its guidelines for plea bargaining. It instructs assistant Commonwealth鈥檚 attorneys to 鈥渃onsider immigration consequences where possible鈥� and states that 鈥減rosecutors shall consider 鈥� the collateral immigration consequences of the specific crime(s) the defendant is charged with.鈥�

The webpage detailing the policy is no longer publicly available on his office鈥檚 website.

After the launch of the Justice Department investigation, Descano said his policies reflect the community he serves, in which 鈥渢hree in 10 residents of Fairfax County are immigrants.鈥�

He reiterated that point Thursday at the hearing, noting that prosecutors rely on people in the community as eyewitnesses and that there needs to be trust with local law enforcement and the legal system.

草莓传媒’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.

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Democrats had counted on Virginia adding four seats to the state’s congressional delegation, moving from a 6-5 advantage to 10-1.

Only California has the potential to add more Democratic seats 鈥� five 鈥� of the states where the party has been trying to counter Republican redistricting.

The Virginia ruling comes only a few weeks after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was touting the referendum’s approval by state voters as a sign that Democrats were successfully neutering GOP gerrymandering in red states.

He remained defiant in a statement issued Friday after the decision, but like Democrats nationwide, clearly disappointed.

“The decision to overturn an entire election is unprecedented and an undemocratic action that cannot stand,” he said.

Virginia Democrats are making a last-ditch effort to preserve the results of the referendum that approved the newly drawn maps, asking the Virginia Supreme Court for a stay while they file an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court of the United States.

“Today鈥檚 action is an imperative step in the process we promised to pursue to explore every available option to restore the will of the voters. We will continue moving through that process deliberately, responsibly, and with full respect for the voters who made their voices heard,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement through a spokesperson.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, joined Republicans in praising the Virginia Supreme Court ruling that could give him a better chance of hanging on to the GOP’s slim majority in the lower chamber.

“This ruling is a victory for democracy and ensures Virginians have fair representation in Congress,” he said in a statement.

Republicans have a 217-212 edge in the House, with one Independent. Five seats are vacant.

Redistricting: Current advantage GOP

After Virginia voters narrowly approved the redistricting amendment in last month’s referendum, it appeared Democrats had battled the GOP to a gerrymandering stalemate.

But the battleground changed considerably, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in a Louisiana case that weakened the Voting Rights Act.

Republicans are moving swiftly to add GOP-leaning districts in several states.

The Republican-controlled state legislature in Tennessee voted Thursday to create a new congressional map that anchored by Memphis.

It’s now likely that Tennessee Republicans could wipe out the last seat held by a Democrat 鈥� Rep. Steve Cohen, who has represented the 9th District for close to two decades. That would give Tennessee Republicans a 9-0 advantage.

Alabama Republicans are also moving quickly to create a new legislative map, along with Louisiana and possibly South Carolina.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also unveiled a map that could create four more GOP seats in his state.

Overall, Republicans currently could add as many as 14 seats in various states, while Democrats are on track to add six.

Polling: Advantage Democrats

While Republicans are set up to potentially add more GOP lawmakers through redistricting, they face a historic disadvantage heading into the midterms.

The opposing party of the incumbent president has a long track record of picking up seats in nonpresidential election years.

A wide range of polls indicate Democrats are poised to do well in the midterms and they remain favored to flip control of the House.

In generic polls that ask voters which party’s candidate they would support for Congress, virtually all of them .

President Donald Trump’s , which could be a drag on Republican candidates. GOP candidates are also nervous about issues like high gas prices and the direction of the war with Iran and how they are affecting voters.

In Virginia, the latest ruling means voters will return to the polls in their current congressional districts.

Democrats believe a couple of Republicans remain vulnerable.

They are trying to defeat GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans, who represents the 2nd District and Rep. Rob Wittman, who represents the 1st District.

Wittman was among the many Republicans praising the Virginia Supreme Court decision, saying it shows “you cannot cut corners on the Constitution.”

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine accused the court of ignoring the will of voters, saying it “blocked the people’s choice.”

“So we have to campaign and win on their maps,” he said.

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The Agricultural Research Service plans to close down which has a long history in rural Prince George’s County.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that ARS “will begin decommissioning the center as part of a broader program aimed at relocating research programs to facilities across the country better aligned with regional agricultural needs.”

Overall, USDA is moving more than 2,500 of its D.C.-area employees to several regional hubs across the country.

“At USDA, we are putting farmers first,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who said the various moves would make research more efficient. “This move puts our research institutions outside of the beltway and closer to the land grant universities with talent pipelines who will lead the research and solve the problems facing the future of American agriculture.”

USDA said the changes will also affect the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Some positions will be moved to offices in Kansas City, Missouri.

Md. lawmakers charge moves are illegal

Rep. Glenn Ivey, who represents Maryland’s 4th District which includes BARC, said lawmakers are disappointed by the decision involving the Beltsville facility, which potentially impacts several hundred people.

He said the state’s congressional delegation believes the action is illegal and lawmakers are willing to go to court if necessary to challenge it.

“We don’t understand the logic behind the move,” he told 草莓传媒. “Certainly, from a scientific standpoint, you’re disrupting decades of research that’s being done and can’t be replicated.”

Democratic lawmakers from Maryland in support of the Beltsville center and its mission.

“Based in Prince George’s County for over a century, BARC has a proud history of supporting American farmers’ efforts to put food on our tables,” the statement said.

The lawmakers argued that “this facility must be kept open and upgraded so that it can continue its important work.”

They also took issue with Rollins’ statement that closing it will improve efficiency.

The lawmakers said “it will only end up wasting taxpayer dollars while jeopardizing the success of farmers across the country.”

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Several states have undergone redistricting since President Donald Trump announced he wanted Republican-led states to do everything possible to .

But Virginia would potentially undergo the biggest change of any state, since Democrats currently hold only a 6-5 edge in the state’s congressional delegation. Democrats could gain a 10-1 advantage with redrawn districts.

“In many ways, what happens in Virginia, may very well be the deciding factor in terms of which party controls Congress next year,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “If the amendment passes, that’s a significant advantage for Democrats going into those November 2026 midterms.”

That’s because the GOP House majority remains razor thin.

The Republican advantage is currently 217-213, with one independent. When all 435 seats are filled, exactly 218 votes are needed to pass legislation.

Currently, there are four vacancies, including those of former Democratic California lawmaker Eric Swalwell and former Republican Texas lawmaker Tony Gonzales, who both recently resigned in .

Republicans are already at a historical disadvantage, since the House usually flips to the opposing party of an incumbent president during the midterm elections.

Referendum is viewed through ‘partisan lens’

Republican opponents of the constitutional amendment have accused Gov. Abigail Spanberger of flip-flopping on gerrymandering, pointing out that she originally supported a state commission that was designed to make redistricting less partisan.

But Democrats said they could not ignore what Republicans have been doing in other states like Texas, where a redistricting plan was ultimately given a green light by the

“The reality is that a lot of the people who support this amendment are arguing that Trump started this and not to fight fire with fire is unilateral disarmament,” Farnsworth said.

He pointed out that people who oppose the amendment in Virginia may not necessarily oppose similar efforts in other states.

“There is very much a dynamic here of looking at these issues through partisan lenses, and that’s a key part of the campaign on both sides right now,” Farnsworth said.

Supporters of the amendment have managed to raise more money than those who oppose it, but political analysts say it is still hard to predict a special election like this. The latest polls have indicated a slight edge for backers of the amendment, which was strongly opposed in one of the .

Farnsworth said he is a bit surprised Republicans haven’t poured more money into the campaign against the referendum, given what’s at stake.

“There is a narrative out there that is potentially a compelling one 鈥� the idea that Virginia just decided to stop gerrymandering a few years ago and now the plan would be to restart it,” he said.

Many Virginians have already voted

The polls for voting on the referendum will open Tuesday, but over a million people have already cast their ballots through early voting.

“The numbers are high, comparable to the early voting in the gubernatorial election last year,” Farnsworth noted. “That suggests this is something that is resonating with a lot of Virginians.”

If the amendment is approved, it will affect voters across the state.

Many voters could end up in different districts, even if they’ve lived in the same homes for decades.

Farnsworth pointed out that many of the redrawn districts “stretch out from Northern Virginia like spaghetti strings,” to include areas that are more favorable to Democrats.

It could include challenges for voters, as well as congressional candidates.

“You may be in one district today and you may be in a very different district after the election,” Farnsworth said.

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The House voted 218-206 on Wednesday to approve the 10-member panel, which is predominantly made up of federal officials.

The legislation, the would codify an executive order made by the president.

The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. John McGuire, who represents Virginia’s 5th District.

“President Trump and congressional Republicans are tackling crime in Washington, D.C. head on,” McGuire said on the House floor. “Reckless D.C. City Council policies have caused citizens from all of the United States and in D.C. to be robbed, raped and murdered.”

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton criticized the bill as the latest GOP effort to meddle in D.C.’s local affairs.

“D.C. is a world-class city, yet this bill seeks to codify and encourage President Trump’s efforts to control and transform D.C., as well as to demonize D.C. and its 700,000 residents, the majority of whom are Black and brown,” Norton said.

The commission would be charged with ensuring “maximum enforcement of federal immigration law” within D.C. and making sure local law enforcement resources are made available to facilitate apprehending those who are in the country illegally.

The panel would also try to increase the speed of processing concealed carry gun permits in D.C., as well as lowering their costs.

The bill also calls for more efforts to reduce fare evasion on the Metro system.

Efforts to beautify DC

The legislation also calls for the Department of Interior to coordinate with the D.C. government to maintain the “cleanliness” of commonly visited areas of the District, including monument sites and parks.

Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw, who represents Virginia’s 11th District, spoke against the bill and Republicans’ repeated legislative efforts to micromanage the District.

“If President Trump wants to run the District of Columbia, he should resign from the presidency and run for mayor,” Walkinshaw said. “I think there’s an opening.”

D.C. will be electing a new mayor this year as Mayor Muriel Bowser intends to step down.

Walkinshaw also criticized Republicans for withholding close to $1 billion in D.C. funds last year, noting the money could be put toward “locally directed efforts that would have made D.C. safer and more beautiful for its residents.”

Walkinshaw noted that D.C. crime is at its lowest level in decades 鈥� something Trump has sought to take credit for, after declaring a crime emergency for the District and sending in the National Guard.

Addressing the beautification of D.C., Walkinshaw argued that it is not intended to improve the lives of local residents.

“It’s an instruction to the Interior secretary and the commission to transform D.C. into Mar-a-Lago on the Potomac for President Trump’s benefit,” Walkinshaw said.

The legislation would still need to be approved by the U.S. Senate.

Democrats would likely try to block it with a filibuster.

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The House Oversight Committee advanced a GOP bill on Wednesday that would get rid of D.C. traffic camera enforcement that annually brings in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the District.

The committee approved the legislation on a 21-19 party line vote.

is sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania’s 10th District.

“The residents and commuters of Washington are both sick and tired of being fleeced for hundreds of dollars of petty, automated traffic fines, all in the name of alleged safety,” Perry said.

His bill would also disallow D.C. from posting signs prohibiting right turns on red light signals.

Perry said it is unfair for drivers who aren’t familiar with the local law to face tickets for right turns that are made legally in their home states.

But D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said Perry’s bill is yet another effort by Republicans to micromanage the District.

She pointed out that Republicans have been trying to eliminate the District’s traffic enforcement system for more than a decade.

After the vote, she released a statement criticizing what she called a “paternalistic, undemocratic and, frankly, petty bill” to overturn D.C. traffic laws.

“The hypocrisy behind this legislation is astounding,” Norton said, noting that Perry is from a state that uses automated traffic enforcement extensively.

DC mayor says traffic cameras make city streets safer

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement this week before the legislation was brought up in the House committee, noting that traffic fatalities fell last year by 52% to their lowest level since 2014.

“This progress was made possible through a broad strategy to both deter dangerous driving and hold reckless drivers accountable 鈥� a strategy that also includes infrastructure upgrades, targeted law enforcement efforts and strengthened accountability,” she said.

Automated traffic enforcement brought in $267 million in revenue for the District last year.

While the legislation to end traffic camera enforcement has moved forward in Congress, it still has a long way to go before becoming law. The House would need to approve the bill, sending it to the Senate.

The legislation would likely hit a roadblock there, in the form of a Democratic filibuster.

Sixty votes would be needed to advance the bill in the Senate.

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U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan has requested the department’s first budget over $1 billion, pointing to increasing security demands and rising threats against members of Congress.

“The threat environment continues to grow,” Sullivan said Tuesday during testimony to the House Appropriations Legislative Branch subcommittee.

Sullivan said last year his department investigated nearly 15,000 concerning statements and threats directed at Congress. That was a 58% increase compared to the previous year.

He said the department is on pace to exceed that this year.

“These are not just numbers. They’re threats against real people,” Sullivan said. “We understand how disruptive and unsettling that can be.”

Last month, Capitol Police arrested an 18-year-old man who ran toward the West Front of the Capitol while carrying a loaded shotgun. No one was injured and the man, later identified by officials as Carter Camacho, was taken into custody.

Camacho told officers he was there to meet a member of Congress but did not say who it was.

Protection of lawmakers expands beyond Capitol Hill

Sullivan told lawmakers his department is not just focused on improving security at the Capitol and the congressional buildings nearby. He said the department now has mutual aid agreements in all 50 states, so that law enforcement resources can be quickly sent in wherever they are needed.

Many lawmakers have expressed concern about their security when they return to their home states.

In 2022, a man broke into the California home of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacked her husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer. He told authorities he had come to the home to interrogate Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who was not there at the time.

David DePape was convicted of two charges in 2024 and .

In recent years, Congress has approved additional funding so that lawmakers can add to the security of their private homes.

Sullivan told lawmakers at the hearing on Tuesday that he has made progress in hiring, but noted the department’s mission has expanded.

“That has placed a strain on our staffing model and increased overtime,” he said.

His budget request for the 2027 fiscal year includes $734 million for salary and expenses and $289 million for general expenses.

Sullivan became police chief last year, succeeding Thomas Manger, who retired in May 2025.

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Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Virginia Rep. Don Beyer announced new legislation Thursday that seeks to provide federal tax cuts for millions of working Americans trying to make ends meet.

“Under our plan, 130 million Americans will get some tax relief,” Van Hollen said during a news conference, where he also appeared with fellow Democrat Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly.

Van Hollen said it was important for Democrats to present their own plan for addressing affordability issues that are squeezing American household budgets 鈥� not to just criticize President Donald Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy.

“We believe that Americans who are earning just enough to get by, to meet their basic living expenses, should not have to pay a federal income tax,” Van Hollen said.

would not require those earning under $46,000 to pay federal income tax.

A single person earning $50,000 a year would receive a tax cut of $2,800. A family of four earning $95,000 would get a tax cut of $6,000, according to figures provided by Van Hollen.

Beyer, who represents Virginia’s 8th District, said the current tax system is tilted too favorably toward the country’s wealthy.

“Some of the wealthiest people in America actually pay a lower tax rate 鈥� not just lower taxes 鈥� but a lower tax rate, than nurses and teachers and firefighters and car mechanics,” he said. “And it’s only continuing to move in the wrong direction.”

Van Hollen said he supports other Democrats’ tax proposals, but hopes that his legislation can be a “pillar” for the party, as lawmakers prepare for the midterm elections.

He said the tax cuts would be paid for by imposing a surcharge on Americans who earn more than $1 million a year.

Last year, Republicans approved an extension of Trump’s tax cuts from his first term, as part of the “.”

The legislation includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, which Democrats have criticized as largely aimed at the rich. But Republicans point to several provisions for working Americans, such as a “no tax on tips” provision.

GOP leaders hope that as the benefits of the tax cuts kick in this year, that will help them in the midterm elections.

Van Hollen and Kelly are both seen as possible Democratic presidential candidates in 2028.

Their legislation has close to 20 Democratic cosponsors, but it is unlikely to advance while Republicans control both chambers of Congress.

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Democratic members of Maryland’s congressional delegation made an unannounced visit Monday to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Baltimore and said they were taken aback by the conditions.

“I am disgusted by what I just saw,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey, who represents Maryland’s 4th Congressional District.

Ivey and several lawmakers spoke outside the George H. Fallon Federal Building, after visiting the facility Monday morning.

Ivey, a former prosecutor who noted he’s been in numerous jails and holding cells due to his work as an attorney over the years, said he can’t believe ICE has been holding people in the conditions he saw.

“We adopted two dogs a little while ago and we went to the shelter to go get them,” he said. “And the shelter space is better than the human space they’ve got upstairs.”

ICE has used space in the building to temporarily hold people taken into custody as they begin what can be an unpredictable legal journey related to immigration enforcement.

The lawmakers said many people have had to sleep on concrete floors in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions.

Those visiting the facility included U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks; Rep. Kweisi Mfume, who represents the 7th District; and Rep. Johnny Olszewski, who represents the 2nd District.

Local leaders from Baltimore also spoke at a news conference after the lawmakers’ visit.

Judge has ordered changes at the holding facility

The lawmakers visited the facility just days after a federal judge issued a ruling Friday .

U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin ordered that the five holding rooms at the facility must hold no more than 55 people at a time.

Van Hollen said the facility was previously allowed to hold more than 220 people.

Lawmakers said the rooms have concrete benches and a single toilet.

Van Hollen also said he was glad the judge ordered ICE to make sure that detainees get a medical screening within 12 hours of being brought to the facility.

He said that is important, given what has happened nationwide.

“We’ve seen almost 40 people die in ICE custody last year,” he said. “And nine already in these first months of this year.”

In court filings, the Justice Department argued ICE had been meeting federal legal standards for the facility.

But the judge rejected the DOJ arguments.

Several lawmakers have made repeated visits to the facility, amid ongoing complaints about conditions there.

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