Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters on Tuesday that he would join the Senate Republican-led effort to overturn Washington, DC’s, controversial soft-on-crime bill.

“I’m going to vote yes,” Schumer said at a press conference. “It was a close question, but on balance I’m voting yes.”

The Democrat Senate Leader’s announcement comes after President Joe Biden announced he would not veto the GOP-led resolution to overturn the crime bill, backtracking his previous support.

“I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor’s objections – such as lowering penalties for carjackings,” Biden tweeted. “If the Senate votes to overturn what D.C. Council did – I’ll sign it.”

The crime bill has been the source of controversy in the nation’s capital as it lowers maximum penalties for certain crimes amid a crime wave in the District.

As Breitbart News’s Wendell Husebø reported:

The District’s criminal law, which reduced punishments for a variety of serious criminal offenses, was enacted by the District’s city council, which overrode the mayor’s veto — all while crime soared at the beginning of 2023. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, homicides have dramatically increased (25 percent), along with vehicle theft (111 percent), theft from auto (21 percent), theft (16 percent), and arson (300 percent).

The District’s city council overrode a veto by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) in January, setting the stage for Congress to take action on the crime bill.

However, Congress has the power to override local D.C. laws through a rarely used resolution of disapproval, which the GOP-led House of Representatives passed last month.

Although Democrats control the Senate, the GOP-led resolution is expected to pass the Senate. In addition to Sen. Manchin’s support of the resolution effort, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jon Tester (D-MT) have also said they would support overturning the D.C. crime bill.

In addition, Senate Democrats are down one voting member, as Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is in the hospital receiving treatment for clinical depression.

The vote on the Republican-led resolution to overturn the D.C. crime bill is expected to take place on Wednesday.

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.