Watch live: Bowser, Contee testify in front of House Oversight Committee

WASHINGTON — Some of D.C.'s top leaders are facing tough questions from members of Congress Wednesday. The House Oversight Committee wants more answers about how the District is being governed.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee III are expected to testify on Capitol Hill. This is the second hearing between D.C. leaders and the oversight committee regarding crime, education and finances.

Bowser and Contee's testimony comes as the District is making several changes in order to fight rising crime in the area.

On Monday, Bower's administration introduced new legislation aimed at bringing crime down. Last week, Bowser held a public safety summit to get more input from local and federal public safety officials about what was working, what was not working and what needed to change in order to improve public safety in D.C. 

In her opening remarks, Bowser shared her story, and told Congress she was there to "set the record straight." Bowser and other Democrats believe D.C.'s lack of statehood is holding the city back from being able to implement necessary changes.

In her remarks to Congress, Bowser says D.C. finances are strong and makes her pitch for statehood, saying despite The District's progress, it was all made "with one arm tied behind our back."

"Indeed, we are not a territory nor a colony, we are not actually a city and not quite a state," Bowser said. "But I want to call attention to what it means for our country to have 700,000 disenfranchised Americans living in the shadow of this Capitol – who pay federal taxes, in fact we pay more per capita than any state, who go to war to defend our democracy, and who have all the responsibilities of citizenship ... Of course, we can fix it through statehood, and I implore all members not to think of statehood as political but fundamental to building a better democracy." 

Bowser also championed D.C.'s Comeback Plan and changes made under her leadership to address homelessness and rising crime rates. 

But she asked Congress for help, as well.

"Until we become a state, we need Congress to fully fund your parts of the D.C. criminal justice system," Bowser said.

She also pushed Congress for help beyond public safety. She asked for Congress to increase the DC TAG scholarship, she asked help redeveloping Union Station, and to address the looming $1 billion Metro shortfall.

"Help the national capital region avoid the $1 billion transit cliff that Metro expects next year; a situation the system is facing, in part, because of federal remote work," Bowser said. 

She even used her remarks to push for a redesigned RFK stadium complex.

Back in March, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmember Charles Allen, D.C.'s Chief Financial Officer Glenn Lee and Greggory Pemberton, the head of D.C.'s Police Union faced questions from lawmakers. 

Essentially, Republicans on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee believe crime in D.C. is out of control and that the D.C. city council's policies are a major contributing factor.

"We think there's a solution to this," Chairman James Comer told WUSA9 following the first hearing. "We want to work with the (DC) Council. This was a sincere hearing to try to deliver the message we want to work with you. If you continue to pass soft on crime legislation we're going to continue to work in a bipartisan way to overrule that."