In boost to Republicans, Manchin says he will oppose DC crime law

Brady Knox

February 27, 11:22 PM February 27, 11:22 PM

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said he would vote against a controversial Washington D.C. crime law, all but ensuring Republicans' efforts to repeal it will be successful.

The law, which overhauls the district's criminal code and drastically reduces sentences for some violent crimes, has come under bipartisan criticism for being too lax on crime. A bill to repeal the law passed in the House with 31 Democratic votes. With Manchin's announcement on CNN that he would support the bill repealing the law, it is likely to pass in the Senate too.

DC ATTORNEY GENERAL URGES SENATE NOT TO OVERTURN DISTRICT’S CRIMINAL CODE

“I don’t support it. I mean, I want to put people away, I don’t want to let them out,” Manchin said of the new law. “I haven’t been briefed on it, but what I know about it, I would vote to rescind it.”

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), the bill's chief sponsor, compared the law to the "defund the police" initiative, casting it as highly unpopular and potentially fatal to the careers of Democratic moderates.

“I don’t think that’s going to be very popular in their states and this falls right in that lane,” Hagerty said.

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser opposed the law and attempted to veto it, though her veto was overridden by the city council. She has since come out to say that although she opposes the law, she opposes Congress's effort to rescind it.