H.R. 5093 would transfer control of the District of Columbia National Guard from the President to the Mayor of D.C., giving the mayor the same authority over the D.C. National Guard that state governors have over their state National Guards. Currently, the President serves as commander-in-chief of the D.C. National Guard, but this bill would change that to the mayor and give the mayor power over officer appointments, training requirements, court martial proceedings, and other administrative functions. The bill also makes corresponding changes to federal law in titles 10 and 32 of the U.S. Code to align with this shift in authority. No specific funding or implementation timeline is included in the legislation. The bill, introduced in September 2025 by Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton and co-sponsored by Representative Jamie Raskin, addresses a long-standing difference in how D.C. is treated compared to the 50 states regarding control of military forces.
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