Emboldened by their successful bid to block a progressive D.C. crime law, House Republicans are ready to keep testing how tightly they can squeeze Democrats.

While the D.C. rollback might seem to affect only voters in the capital’s metro area, it marks an unexpected triumph for Republicans who’ve gotten to revive the attacks on rising crime that helped propel them to the majority. And the House GOP has no plans to back off — it will force more tough votes on the Democratic Party in the near future, including a President Joe Biden rule on water regulations.

“If we don’t pick that fight, we don’t win that fight,” said Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.).

Democrats insist the effort turned to their advantage, since plenty of their incumbents welcomed the chance to distance themselves from President Joe Biden. Still, Wednesday’s vote ended weeks of Democratic angst over D.C.’s liberal crime bill, a particularly potent subject after their party’s humiliating losses in deep blue New York that ultimately cost them control of the House last November.

In a 81-14 vote, the majority of Senate Democrats joined Republicans in rolling back the crime bill. That’s a contrast to an initial House vote in February, when the vast majority of House Democrats sided with the D.C. Council, under the impression that Biden would veto the measure. ,Fourteen Senate Democrats in the end opposed the measure, while Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) voted present.

Even as Senate Democrats emphasize that the circumstances surrounding the D.C. bill are unique, they’re also resigned to the reality that there are more disapproval votes to come.

“Unfortunately, the agenda on the Republican side is to just look for division and have investigations,” said Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the No. 3 Senate Democrat. “I would expect them to continue to look for ways to divide people and play politics.”

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., asks a question during a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday, March 7, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.