'In the dark': Republicans 'puzzled' about Trump's push for a major crime bill

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

When Congress comes back to Washington D.C. after the Labor Day holiday, President Donald Trump is hoping they'll take up a "comprehensive" new bill focused on addressing crime. But some Republicans aren't sure what he's talking about.

That's according to a Wednesday article by Politico's Meredith Lee Hill and Jordain Carney, who reported that Trump has offered scant few details about what he wants included in the bill, and has only said that there will be "more to follow." So far, Trump has only indicated he wants $2 billion to "beautify" the capital city, and lawmakers are reportedly still "in the dark" about the details.

Politico reported that Trump told House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) he wanted to extend his 30-day occupation of D.C., with Johnson promising to put it to a vote. While the House has enough of a majority to pass it, an extension would be less certain in the U.S. Senate, where filibuster rules would require more than a half-dozen Democratic votes to pass.

Some of Trump's allies in the upper chamber of Congress — like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee – said they felt confident that Trump's lesser ask of additional funding for his D.C. effort could get across the finish line. However, Graham kept mum regarding the details of a purported crime bill, which would have to go through his committee.

"I’m going to try to find him the money to repave the roads, take the graffiti off the building, refurbish the parks and give homeless people some place to go other than a tent," he said.

Hill and Carney further reported that seven unnamed Republican lawmakers speaking anonymously were "puzzled" about the sudden push for a crime bill, particularly considering the limited amount of time Congress has to address other time-sensitive issues. Congressional Republicans are already scrambling to pass a government funding bill in order to avoid a shutdown ahead of the September 30 deadline. Lawmakers are also hoping to assemble next year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund the Pentagon through next year.

The push for a crime bill appears to be more politically motivated than policy-focused, according to Politico. Republicans are apparently eager to put Democrats on the defensive going into next year's midterm elections. Hill and Carney also observed that a major legislative push focused on crime could also distract the news cycle from the ongoing outrage over the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Click here to read Politico's report in its entirety.