MAKE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL ACT OF 2025

MAKE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 56 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2698-H2705] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] MAKE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL ACT OF 2025 Mr. McGUIRE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1131, I call up the bill (H.R. 5103) to establish a program to Beautify the District of Columbia and establish the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission, and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1131, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, printed in the bill, is adopted, and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 5103 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO BEAUTIFY DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. (a) Establishment.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter the ``Secretary'') shall develop a program to beautify the District of Columbia (hereinafter the ``Program''). (2) Consultation.--The Secretary, when establishing the Program, shall consult with each of the following: (A) The Attorney General. (B) The Secretary of Transportation. (C) The Mayor of the District of Columbia. (D) The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. (E) The Administrator of General Services. (F) The heads of such other Federal departments and agencies and District of Columbia officials as the Secretary deems appropriate. (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Program is to establish and implement a plan for Federal and local officials to-- (1) coordinate, and maintain, the cleanliness, of Federal and District of Columbia facilities, monuments, land, public spaces, sidewalks, parks, highways, roads, transit systems, and other commonly visited areas within the District of Columbia, including through the removal of graffiti; (2) restore, to the extent practicable, District of Columbia and Federal public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, and similar properties that have been damaged or defaced or inappropriately removed or changed; and (3) encourage private-sector participation in the efforts of the Program. (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate [[Page H2699]] that includes a summary of the progress of the Program and the plan as described in subsection (b). (d) Sunset.--This section, and the Program established by this section, shall terminate on January 2, 2029. SEC. 3. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION. (a) Establishment.--There is established in the executive branch a District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Commission (hereafter the ``Commission''). (b) Membership.-- (1) In general.--The Commission shall be comprised of representatives of each of the following entities: (A) The Department of the Interior. (B) The Department of Transportation. (C) The Department of Homeland Security. (D) The Federal Bureau of Investigation. (E) The United States Marshals Service. (F) The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. (G) The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. (H) The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. (I) The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. (J) The Executive Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia (as defined in section 3(3) of the Governmental Reorganization Procedures Act of 1981; sec. 1-315.02(3), D.C. Official Code). (K) Such other entities of the Federal government as may be determined by the Chair of the Commission. (2) Designation of members.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this section (or, in the case of an entity described in subsection (b)(1)(K), not later than 45 days after the Chair of the Commission designates the entity), the head of each entity described in subsection (b)(1) shall designate a representative of that entity to serve as the representative of the entity on the Commission. (c) Chair.-- (1) Designation.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the President shall designate a senior level official from the Executive Office of the President to serve as the Chair of the Commission. (2) Functions.--The Chair shall perform functions that include the following: (A) Developing a schedule of meetings for the Commission. (B) Designating entities who shall be represented on the Commission under subsection (b)(1)(K). (C) In consultation with the members of the Commission, developing a charter for the Commission and, not later than 7 days after the date on which the charter is completed, submitting the charter to the appropriate committees of Congress. (d) Functions and Authorities.-- (1) Functions.--The functions of the Commission are to recommend actions, and review the effectiveness of such actions, with respect to, but not limited to, the following: (A) Developing and encouraging the implementation of polices which will direct the maximum enforcement of Federal immigration law within the District of Columbia, including policies to encourage the redirection of available Federal, State, or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal aliens. (B) Monitoring the District of Columbia's sanctuary-city status and compliance with the enforcement of Federal immigration law. (C) Facilitating the prompt and complete accreditation of the District of Columbia's forensic crime laboratory. (D) In collaboration with its leadership and union, ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia is provided with assistance to facilitate the recruitment, retention, and capabilities of its officers and facilitating the provision of Federal personnel, resources, and expertise to reduce crime. (E) Collaborating with appropriate local government entities to provide assistance to increase the speed and lower the cost of processing concealed carry license requests in the District of Columbia. (F) Reviewing and, as appropriate, recommending revisions to Federal prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention of criminal defendants to ensure that individuals who pose a genuine threat to public safety are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law. (G) Collaborating with appropriate local government entities to provide assistance to end fare evasion and other crime within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system. (H) Facilitating the deployment of a more robust Federal law enforcement presence, and in coordination with local law enforcement agencies, facilitating the deployment of a more robust local law enforcement presence (as appropriate) within the District of Columbia, including the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. (2) Coordination with other authorities.--The Commission may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational assistance from and coordinate with Federal and local officials as appropriate, including the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and the Amtrak Police. (e) Report.--The Commission shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress which includes a summary of the functions and authorities carried out pursuant to subsection (d), and shall include in the report such recommendations for legislation as the Commission considers appropriate. (f) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means-- (1) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. (g) Sunset.--This section, and the Commission established by this section, shall terminate on January 2, 2029. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform or their respective designees. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. McGuire) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Walkinshaw) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. McGuire). General Leave Mr. McGUIRE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Virginia? There was no objection. Mr. McGUIRE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I support the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act of 2025, which codifies core components of President Trump's Executive Order No. 14252 titled: ``Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.'' Our Nation's Capital is a direct reflection of our great country and should be a symbol of pride for the American people and a safe and beautiful location for all who reside and visit. Violent crime in Washington, D.C., has been far to

Referenced legislation: HR5, HR51, HRES1131, HR5103, HR5183, HR5214, HR6085