Lawmakers are bracing for a major crime-fighting proposal from the White House, as President Donald J. Trump ramps up his campaign to restore safety and order in Washington, D.C.

Speaking Wednesday, President Trump announced that a legislative package would soon be sent to Congress, aiming to make the nation’s capital a model of law and order for other Democrat-run cities plagued by violence and decay. While he did not outline every detail, the president made clear the goal: “We think the Democrats will not do anything to stop crime, but we think the Republicans will do it almost unanimously,” Trump told Fox News. “So we’re going to need a crime bill that we’re going to be putting in, and it’s going to pertain initially to D.C.”

Trump added that the plan will also seek “a relatively small amount of money” for repairing streets and improving the city’s appearance — a pointed contrast to the billions Democrats funnel toward pet projects and overseas spending while American cities crumble.

Following the president’s announcement, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) confirmed he has been in talks with Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and senior White House staff about “how Congress can help make Washington, D.C., safe again.”

“At the direction of President Trump, this Department of Justice will continue to work with MPD, federal law enforcement and Congress to address the scourge of violent crime in Washington, D.C., and ensure the safety of all Americans visiting or living in our Nation’s capital,” Bondi told Fox News Digital.

Graham said the White House is finalizing a package for him and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), chair of the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee. “Together, we will try to shepherd the D.C. Security Fund through Congress to give President Trump the resources he will need to improve the safety and quality of life in our nation’s capital,” Graham posted on X. “Every American should be behind this effort to make Washington D.C. clean and safe so that it can truly become the shining city on the hill.”

It is not yet clear whether the proposal will be tied to a broader spending bill or offered as a standalone measure. Lawmakers will not return to Washington until after Labor Day, facing a September 30 deadline to fund the government and a pending request from Trump to extend his federal oversight of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) — an authority he currently holds for only 30 days without congressional approval.

Republicans largely support giving the president more time to crack down on crime in the capital, but extending that authority would require 60 Senate votes. Democrats have already signaled resistance, preferring to leave control in the hands of the same local officials whose soft-on-crime policies allowed violence to flourish.

President Trump has suggested he might declare a national emergency to bypass Congress — a move several congressional Republicans already endorse.

Democrats, however, are circling the wagons. “He is doing nothing but creating chaos and ignoring the progress local officials in D.C. have made lowering crime,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) claimed. Durbin argued that no “special conditions of an emergency nature” exist under the Home Rule Act, calling Trump’s actions “unprecedented” and “nothing more than a power grab.”

On Thursday, Bondi escalated the administration’s law-and-order push with a two-page directive titled Restoring Safety and Security to the District of Columbia. The order rescinds sanctuary city-style protections for illegal immigrants in D.C. and appoints an “emergency police commissioner” to lead MPD. The measure nullifies any policy barring officers from engaging with illegal immigrants during law enforcement encounters.

In response, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb — a Democrat — filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration over its takeover of MPD, CNN reported.

President Trump’s message is clear: Washington, D.C., will not be allowed to sink into lawlessness under his watch — and Democrats who stand in the way will have to answer to the American people.