EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are having early talks about cracking down on crime nationwide, the No. 2 GOP lawmaker suggested on Tuesday.
"There are discussions about addressing some of these problems at a more federal level, but right now, we're focused on D.C.," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital.
"The president's been very effectively reducing crime in D.C., and he's got some limitations right now with a lot of these ordinances, and that's what we're focused on cleaning up."
He added, however, "But we're not done."
It comes after President Donald Trump federalized the Washington, D.C., police force and deployed federal troops to the capital city in a bid to end violent crime. He's now eyeing National Guard deployments in other cities across the country, though the idea has been met with criticism by Democrats.
The House Oversight Committee is slated to advance several bills dealing with D.C. criminal sentencing this week, which will likely get full House votes in the coming months.
Scalise's comments suggest that while lawmakers are currently focused on overhauling Washington, D.C.'s criminal policies, it's possible they could turn to the rest of the country at some point as well.
Trump similarly signaled last month that he wanted to see a bill dealing with crime across the U.S.
"Speaker Mike Johnson, and Leader John Thune, are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill. It’s what our Country needs," he wrote on Truth Social.
House GOP leaders also railed against crime in Democratic-run cities and states during their weekly press briefing on Tuesday – specifically their leaders' opposition to National Guard deployments.
