Republican Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde is calling for Black Lives Matter (BLM) Plaza in Washington, D.C., to be paved over, the Daily Caller has learned. He also plans on introducing legislation to overturn home rule in the nation’s capital during the next Congress.
BLM Plaza, which was installed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser following the death of George Floyd in 2020, is across the street from the White House. Millions of taxpayer dollars were spent to shut down the entire street, install barricades to prevent cars from driving down it and paint “Black Lives Matter” in massive yellow font on the pavement. The street’s name was also officially changed to Black Lives Matter Plaza Northwest.
Congress can exercise authority over D.C. local affairs, according to the District Clause of the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17), and reviews all D.C. legislation before it can become law. Congress can change or even overturn D.C. legislation and also impose new laws on the district. This is something Clyde and other Republicans have been passionate about. He and Republican Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty introduced a joint resolution of disapproval in 2023 to block the Washington, D.C., Council’s Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, which would lower penalties for a number of violent criminal offenses, citing home rule. The Caller first broke the news on the legislation at the time.
That joint resolution ended up passing the Senate in a 81-14 vote, with a total of 33 Democrats voting with Republicans. President Joe Biden ended up signing the legislation. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House, Senate GOP To Start ‘DC Home Rule’ Vote To Block District’s New Crime Law)
People walk down 16th street after volunteers, with permission from the city, painted “Black Lives Matter” on the street near the White House on June 05, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
As Republicans are set to have control of all three branches of the government, Clyde believes it is time to clean up the nation’s capital and thinks getting rid of BLM Plaza is just one way to do that.
“I would think that that is something that we should do. You have a street that is blocked off. It should not be blocked off. You have businesses that are negatively affected by it and they shouldn’t be negatively affected by it. The Black Lives Matter movement in and of itself should be All Lives Matter, not just Black Lives Matter, but All Lives Matter,” Clyde told the Caller in an interview. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Republicans Demand Mayor Bowser Provide Plan To Address Rampant Violent Crime In Nation’s Capital)
“So in that respect, I don’t agree with this. And the fact that the city spent almost $5 million on it is an incredible waste of money. And then to maintain it, another waste of money. So, honestly, the street needs to go back to the way it was, which is a public thoroughfare and the Black Lives Matter wording needs to be paved over,” he continued.
Clyde went on to criticize the BLM movement for being “pro-crime” and called it a “defund the police organization” that is not respectful of law enforcement.
“We are not a defund-the-police nation or a defund-the-police city, but they are a defund-the-police organization. And that is wrong. So we don’t need to be honoring it. I mean, think if you are an MPD officer and you go by that every solitary day, what does that tell you? This city hates me,” he told the Caller.
Police officers stand behind a police line as they block a road in ‘Black Lives Matter’ plaza near the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2020. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Clyde said he believes he could work with Republicans on the appropriations side to have BLM Plaza dismantled and have the street go back to normal. He explained the problem he has with home rule, saying Congress has legislative authority over the city and that whatever the city approves, Congress must approve first. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: House Oversight Republicans, Kevin McCarthy Plan November Surprise For DC Mayor Bowser)
“I think we could probably do that more on the appropriations side … I think [home rule] is going to be the primary focus of home rule going forward. When home rule was created in 1973, it was, okay, whatever the city passes is approved and Congress has a limited amount of time to disapprove it. That’s backwards,” he continued. (RELATED: Senate Passes Legislation To Block DC’s New Crime Law, Heads To Biden’s Desk For Signature)
“That is not honoring the Constitution that says Congress has exclusive legislative authority over the city. The way it should have been is whatever the city approves, Congress must approve that and it is not approved until Congress approves it and if Congress does not approve it, then it is disapproved. It’s not approved and Congress has a limited time to disapprove it. It is not approved until Congress approves it because that’s the way the Constitution is written. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17, is very, very clear. And that’s not the way home rule operates right now,” Clyde added.
George Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd (2L) looks on as the family lawyer Ben Crump (2R) speaks to the media on Black Lives Matter plaza after a meeting at the White House with US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC, on May 25, 2021. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
He and his team are still working on home rule legislation for the upcoming Congress. Clyde said when it is all flushed out he will be sharing more details and said he wants to help incoming President Donald Trump clean up the nation’s capital.
“President Trump said that he planned on cleaning up the city. We’re going to help him do that.”