President Joe Biden won't veto a Republican-led measure making its way through the Senate that would strike down a newly passed law overhauling Washington's century-old criminal code and reduce the penalties for some crimes, he told Senate Democrats on Thursday.
The decision not to veto the legislation deals a major blow to local lawmakers in Washington, D.C., who urged congressional Democrats and Biden to vote against the measure in order to preserve the city's local autonomy. Biden told Senate Democrats of his decision during the party's weekly luncheon as the upper chamber prepares to vote on the measure as soon as next week.
The news came as a surprise to some district lawmakers because Biden had previously expressed opposition to the Republican measure to override the city's criminal code.
