Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Make DC Square Again Act would repeal an 1846 law that returned Alexandria County and the City of Alexandria to Virginia, restoring this territory to the District of Columbia. The bill's sponsors argue that the Constitution grants Congress the power to establish a federal district of up to ten miles square but does not authorize returning portions of that district to states, making the 1846 retrocession unconstitutional. If enacted, Arlington County and Alexandria would become part of DC and be subject to DC's laws rather than Virginia's, though existing property rights would be protected and any pending Virginia court cases could continue in Virginia courts. The change would take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year after the bill becomes law. The legislation has no dedicated funding since it primarily involves jurisdictional transfer rather than new federal spending.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.