LISTEN: Congress’ Hard Line On DC Oversight Is Reflection Of Political Polarization

John Matthews
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) For many years, the DC government got more or less a free pass from Congress when it came to intervention in city laws and the D.C. budget. But the city’s recent passage of the “Death With Dignity” assisted suicide bill has sparked a return to strong oversight of the city’s affairs, under the purview of House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).

Chaffetz has made it clear that his committee plans to overturn the suicide bill, and to weigh in other city matters as it sees fit. That would be a change from the previous decade, when the panel was chaired either by Democrats, or by Republicans Tom Davis (VA) and Darrell Issa (CA), who both took a hands-off approach on city affairs.

“If the city were to go and pass an ordinance that hindered the workings of the federal government, then [Congress] has every right to intervene,” said Davis in an interview with WMAL. “But on a lot of the other issues, guns and stuff like that, we thought the city ought to have its own responsibility. They pay their own taxes,” he added.

Davis, who chaired the oversight committee from 2003 – 2007, said a more polarized climate now makes DC a bigger target, and gives the GOP-run House an opportunity to bring national attention to issues such as assisted suicide.

“Politics are a lot more polarized today than when I was there,” said Davis. “D.C. passed a lot of ordinances there that I didn’t like, but I felt that was the responsibility of the elected people of the city to make those decisions, not mine.”

Times have clearly changed. The House Oversight Committee is set to overturn the city’s ‘Death With Dignity” law on Thursday, and Congressional Republicans are also leading separate efforts to overturn city gun safety measures, as well as strip the use of local funds to pay for abortion services for low-income women.

“We’re trying to work well with the District,” said Chaffetz Tuesday. “But it is the nation’s capital. It is unique, It is different, and that’s why it’s designated as such in the constitution.”