IN THE HOT SEAT: Mayor Brandon Johnson made a strong case before a congressional committee Wednesday about why Chicago is a sanctuary city, but he was needled by Republicans about the state of the city and his recent approval ratings — including a surprise attack from Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood. “Let me be clear: Chicago’s Welcoming City ordinance and our other laws and policies do not lead to more crime. They do not prevent cooperation with federal law enforcement on criminal matters. And we do not harbor criminals. We arrest them,” Johnson told the House Oversight Committee in the nearly six-hour hearing on Capitol Hill. Republicans didn’t buy it. Johnson and the mayors of New York, Denver and Boston defended themselves against combative questions that accused them of harboring criminals and ignoring federal law, which the mayors all denied. Johnson persisted. “The welcoming city ordinance is pretty straightforward — it allows for our local law enforcement to focus on local policies. And that’s why we're seeing a decline in violence,” he said about the sanctuary city status. The mayors were united, saying local ordinances don’t allow local law enforcement to help federal deportation officials, but the laws don’t hinder the feds, either. The reason: Communities won’t trust local law enforcement if they’re worried about deportation. Johnson pointed to crime being down as a reason why sanctuary city status is important. The hearing had its drama. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned New York Mayor Eric Adams, a fellow Democrat, on whether he cut a deal with the Trump administration over corruption charges hovering over him. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (a Chicago native) poked at Republicans on safety, saying, “If you want to make us safe, pass gun reforms, stop cutting Medicaid, stop cutting cancer research, stop cutting funds for veterans.” And it got ugly when Republican Rep. Nancy Mace told Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and the others that "you all have blood on your hands," a reference to isolated incidents of people who have died in crimes by undocumented immigrants. Johnson weathered the attacks by Republicans who accused him of being “a failing mayor” and telling him “you suck at answering questions.” But it was LaHood who got unusually personal, accusing the mayor of being “tone deaf” and “oblivious” about the “decline of Chicago.” Johnson replied that “violent crime is down in Chicago” only to be interrupted by LaHood, who said “no one in this room should be surprised that your approval rating is 6.6 percent.” The mayor ignored the insult and ticked off the investments in housing and youth employment. After more back and forth, Johnson kept it classy, saying, “I’m willing to work with you, and I’m glad I had a chance to finally meet you for the first time.” There were friendly Democrats in the room, too, including Illinois Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Danny Davis. It was during that line of questioning that Johnson propped up the good stuff about Chicago in an effort to counter the oppressive view Republicans painted. REAX: Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor who advised Johnson ahead of the hearing, criticized Republicans, saying they “are desperate to create a sideshow so that the American public doesn't know the truth. The truth is the Republicans have no solutions for inflation. …. When you attack cities, you attack America." MORE HEADLINES Dems struggle to deflect GOP attacks on immigration, from the Hill to the border, by POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs and your Playbook host Johnson’s testimony was so scripted, it appeared to neither help nor hurt him. He simply got through it, by the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman and Mitchell Armentrout Mayors made case that sanctuary status makes cities safer, by Fox 32’s Paris Schutz Johnson was able to land some cheeky responses, too: When Rep. Nancy Mace asked him whether he hates Trump more than he loves his country, Johnson said, “As a son of a pastor, I love everyone — and this country,” by the Tribune’s Alice Yin. The mayor wouldn’t be bullied, with video of the mayor talking to reporters after the hearing, by ABC 7’s Lissette Nuñez, Craig Wall and Sarah Schulte There was a theater element to it all, reports NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern
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