As President Biden watches, Republicans in Congress are using Washington, D.C., to score political points.

The District of Columbia has long been a target of Republican ire because of its special status, where Congress has the final say on its laws.

Until now, Democrats in Congress and the White House have been eager to defend the city’s home rule rights, which were finally established in 1973. But two recent attacks on home rule by House Republicans and the force with which the White House has resisted them may call into question that commitment.

In one, the White House said it opposed the bill but stopped short of threatening a veto, and in the other, the White House remained publicly silent.

“I was surprised there was no threat of a veto.” A bill that would restrict the city’s ability to change criminal sentencing laws” Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-Ore.) told Huffington Post.

In the arcane back-and-forth between the White House and Congress, the president can make it clear just how much he dislikes a bill that’s coming up for a vote. Public statements of the administration’s position on a particular bill range from outright threats to veto it if it reaches the president’s desk to less vetoed notices that presidential advisers recommend a veto, leaving some room for more moderate opposition.

The differences also signal how important it is for Democrats to vote in line with the president: Voting on something the president has said he will veto is likely to attract attention within the White House Legislative Affairs Office, whether Republican or Democrat.

Norton said he doesn’t see why the White House wouldn’t veto a bill that would limit the power of the District of Columbia’s sentencing law.Ultimately, the House voted 225-181 in favor of the bill, with 18 Democrats and 207 Republicans voting in favor.

Norton denounced the bill, saying about 50 bills have been introduced this Congress so far that contain “anti-DC” provisions.

“D.C.’s laws are a matter for the duly elected D.C. Council and Mayor, not irresponsible council members who do not represent D.C. residents. Nearly 700,000 D.C. residents are entitled and able to govern their own local affairs,” she said in a statement.

The district’s status and history are of particular importance to Democrats: Though Washington’s population is no longer majority African-American, the nickname “Chocolate City” remains, and the district was effectively a congressional committee fiefdom, with appointed members, until 1973, when residents gained home rule and could vote for a mayor and district council.

Norton serves as a non-voting representative in the House of Representatives, and the district’s residents have no representation in the Senate. The Legislature still has veto power over any legislative changes proposed by the district, a power that was exercised in March 2023. He overturned criminal justice reform that Republicans hated.President Joe Biden signed the policy change.

It was the first time in 30 years that Congress had directly repealed a District of Columbia law.

Many Democrats felt politically left out after the White House signaled its opposition to the bill, but Biden later told senators he intended to sign it. Before Biden reversed course, 173 Democrats in the House had voted against the bill.

The sentencing bill and criminal law reform are not the only bills in the current legislative session that would limit district autonomy. 52 Democrats joined 210 Republicans in passing the bill It repealed zoning laws that allowed foreigners to vote in local elections.

The White House did not take an official stance on the bill, whether it supported or opposed it, which is thought to be one of the reasons for the defection of so many Democrats from the party.

“I wish there’d been a veto warning,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), who, like Norton, is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. “I don’t know if this bill will make it to his desk.”

Republicans said the bill was needed to correct bad policies in the District of Columbia. “My bill will restore the sanctity of the voting process and ensure that only American citizens vote in our nation’s capital,” said Rep. August Plueger (R-Texas), sponsor of the voting bill.

Federal law already bars foreigners from voting in federal elections, and the District had asked that they be allowed to vote only in local elections.

With the Senate in Democratic hands, neither the sentencing nor voting bills are likely to advance beyond the House. Still, black voters are a key part of the Democratic base and Biden’s reelection campaign, as evidenced by Biden’s rally in Philadelphia on Wednesday to launch the “Black Voters for Biden-Harris” coalition. And being seen as soft on Washington could be problematic.

While the White House’s defense of the District of Columbia may not be as aggressive as expected, Frost said he’s not too worried.

“I think the president has been very clear about his beliefs on this issue, and he’s also been one of the most vocal about preserving the autonomy of Washington, D.C.,” he said.

Rep. Jim Clyburn of Colorado, a key supporter of Biden’s 2020 campaign, also suggested he has no concerns for now.

“While Republicans have attempted to distract from their own inability to govern by attacking Washington, Democrats and the Biden-Harris Administration have repeatedly worked to preserve the district’s independence by voting against harmful policies,” Clyburn said in a statement to HuffPost.

“I recognize the historical context surrounding the treatment of Washington, D.C., and I am confident that President Biden is committed to addressing our long-standing concerns, including the treatment of D.C. residents,” he said.