119th (2025–2027)
H.Res. 1180
This resolution honors the historical significance of April 16, 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, freeing approximately 3,100 enslaved people in the nation's capital—making it the first place in the United States to end slavery. The resolution recognizes that DC residents today pay more per capita in federal taxes than any state residents, serve in the military, and meet all citizenship obligations, yet lack voting representation in Congress, which it frames as contrary to the founding principle of no taxation without representation. The measure also celebrates the House's passage of the Washington, DC Admission Act, which would grant DC statehood, and calls on Congress to pass that legislation. The resolution has no direct budget impact or implementation timeline, as it is a symbolic measure expressing support for DC statehood and commemorating the historical significance of emancipation in the nation's capital.