BREAKING NEWS: The House just passed Byron Donalds’ D.C. CRIMES Act, requiring criminals over 18 to be prosecuted as adults, ending leniency for those under 24.
The United States House of Representatives passed the H.R. 4922 bill, known as the «D.C. CRIMES Act,» sponsored by Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds.
With a vote of 240-179, this measure requires that all criminals over 18 years old in the capital be prosecuted and sentenced as adults, eliminating the controversial local provision that allowed individuals up to 24 years old to be treated as juveniles, which has contributed to the surge in youth violence in the city.
This approval comes at a critical moment, as Washington, D.C., faces a wave of violent crimes, including robberies and carjackings largely perpetrated by young people.
According to data from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, juvenile arrests accounted for 51.8% of robbery arrests in 2024 and 53% of carjacking arrests in 2025 through August.
Donalds, a staunch defender of law and order and a fierce critic of «progressive» policies that prioritize criminals over victims, has directly blamed radical local officials for this crisis.
Byron Donalds stated that D.C.’s current law grants judges the ability to waive mandatory minimum sentences for anyone under 25 years old.
«The efforts of the Trump administration have shown that ANARCHY IS A CHOICE, and it is time for Congress to step up and adhere to our constitutional duty and further address crime in the nation’s capital,» the congressman stated in an official release.
The bill, supported by the White House and the House Oversight Committee, marks the first significant federal legislation this year to combat crime in the capital, aligning with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14252 of March 27, 2025, titled «Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.»
This measure seeks to codify efforts to restore safety, prohibiting changes to D.C.’s criminal sentencing without federal approval and requiring a public website with updated statistics on juvenile crime.
Congress members raised their voices in support of the bill:
This law is a crucial step against the leftist agenda that has weakened justice in cities like D.C., allowing adults to commit serious crimes with lenient penalties.
Democratic critics and D.C. officials argue that the law undermines local autonomy (home rule), but it is clear that these indulgent policies have failed spectacularly, fostering an environment where crime flourishes.
Although the bill now moves to the Senate, where Republicans will fight for its approval, it represents a model for the rest of the nation, as the Republican Party is restoring the rule of law.
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