Washington, DC - Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, applauded the news that the U.S. House of Representatives voted 229-189 in favor of H.J. Res. 42, a resolution disapproving the adoption of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act (CPJRAA) by the Washington, D.C. City Council. Not only does the CPJRAA prohibit responsible policing, but it also strips D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers of their basic employment rights.

“The D.C. City Council is back for a second time, having passed into law, a dangerous bill that negatively impacts the District’s brave law enforcement officers and undoubtedly jeopardizes public safety,” said Yoes. “It’s hard to fathom how elected officials, charged with protecting the citizens of the District of Columbia, could be so reckless to pass a piece of legislation that includes provisions that would exacerbate an already out-of-control crime crisis.”

On 19 January 2023, the D.C. City Council enacted the CPJRAA without the signature of Mayor Muriel E. Bowser.  If the Senate, and ultimately the President, does not stand strong in support the brave men and women of law enforcement by passing this disapproval resolution, the right of thousands of FOP union members to bargain collectively with the city over disciplinary procedures will be eliminated. The right to bargain over discipline is enjoyed by every other public sector union and the proposal would strip the police union—and only the police union—of this right.

“Our message to those Senators planning on voting against H.J. Res. 42 is simple: you’re either pro-union or you’re not,” Yoes said. “You cannot have it both ways—you can’t support public sector unions while also supporting local efforts to eliminate collective bargaining rights just because they are for police officers.  There should be no confusion: a vote in favor of the CPJRAA is a vote against cops. Any Senator who votes in favor of this bill should fully expect that their constituents will be made aware of their anti-police vote.”

The Fraternal Order of Police is the union that represents the men and women of the MPD. The D.C. MPD Labor Committee and the thousands of officers they represent have made it clear to us and to the residents of the city that the CPJRAA would have a dire impact on the department’s ability to recruit and retain officers and, even worse, on their ability to keep residents and visitors safe.

“Unions are either in the public interest or not,” said Yoes. “You can’t pick and choose, and you should be ashamed to walk away from union members just because they wear a badge.”

The National FOP is urging the Senate to adopt H.J. Res 42 and disapprove of the CPJRAA.