Rep. Bill Johnson
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) has introduced legislation that would repeal the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program and transfer its funds to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
The congressman introduced the Divert Important Services to Recovery in Criminal Trends (DISTRICT) Act, H.R. 928, on Feb. 9. He said the bill would help combat violent crime around the United States, particularly in the nation’s capital, where Washington, D.C. City Councilman Charles Allen introduced legislation that would use federal funds from the Inflation Reduction Act to incentivize residents to switch their gas stoves and other appliances to electric, and would effectively ban new fossil fuel appliances from being installed in new buildings and private renovations in the district.
“The Washington D.C. City Council, with council member Charles Allen at the forefront, has proposed radical changes to D.C.’s criminal code making it easier for criminals to inflict harm on innocent victims,” Rep. Johnson said. “Unfortunately, council member Charles Allen is losing touch with reality; he believes gas stoves are a bigger threat to the public than violent crime, and is actively ignoring pleas from Washington’s residents, visitors, and even Mayor Muriel Bowser to revise the lenient criminal code and keep the city safe.”
“We cannot stand back and allow the nation’s capital to be overrun with criminals while D.C. City Council members continue down this path of dangerous lunacy,” said Rep. Johnson.
If enacted, H.R. 928 “will provide much-needed assistance to help ensure that law-abiding visitors and residents do not become victims of violent crime due to the unwillingness of the D.C. government to do its most basic job, and provide law enforcement departments across America critical funding through the Byrne JAG program,” the congressman added.
H.R. 928 has been referred for consideration to both the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.