By: Meza H.R. No. 468
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Since the ratification of the Constitution of the
United States on June 21, 1788, the Congress of the United States
has had the power "To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases
whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as
may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of
Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States;"
and
WHEREAS, The Seat of the Government of the United States was
accepted by the Congress of the United States on July 16, 1790 and
transferred from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the District
on December 1, 1800 in accordance with the Residence Act of 1790,
and was organized into the District of Columbia under the entire
control of the Congress of the United States for every purpose of
Government on February 27, 1801 in accordance with the District of
Columbia Organic Act of 1801, through which the residents ceased to
be considered citizens of a state, no longer entitled to all the
rights, guaranties, and immunities of the Constitution of the
United States including, but not limited to: the right to appoint at
least three Electors in the Electoral College for President and
Vice President of the United States, the right to elect two Senators
and at least one Representative in the Congress of the United
States, and the right to self-govern and ratify proposed amendments
to the Constitution of the United States, despite continuing to pay
federal taxes, serve in the military, and share all other
responsibilities of citizenship of the United States; and
WHEREAS, A Twenty-Third Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed by the Congress of the United States on
June 16, 1960 and ratified by a sufficient number of states on March
29, 1961 granting "The District constituting the seat of Government
of the United States" the right to appoint "A number of electors of
President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators
and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be
entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least
populous State;" and
WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States granted a Delegate
to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia, who
"shall have a seat in the House of Representatives, with the right
of debate, but not of voting," on September 22, 1970 in accordance
with the District of Columbia Delegate Act, (after previously
establishing the position on February 21, 1871 and repealing the
position on June 20, 1874); and
WHEREAS, Enactment of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act
by the Congress of the United States on December 24, 1973 and
ratification of the Charter Referendum by a majority of the voters
of the District of Columbia on May 7, 1974, re-organized the
District of Columbia by granting limited powers of local
self-government to an elected thirteen-member Council of the
District of Columbia and an elected Mayor of the District of
Columbia to "relieve Congress of the burden of legislating upon
essentially local District matters;" however, the Congress of the
United States granted no local control over the judiciary and
reserved "the right, at any time, to exercise its constitutional
authority as legislature for the District, by enacting legislation
for the District on any subject, whether within or without the scope
of legislative power granted to the Council... including
legislation to amend or repeal any law in force in the District;"
and
WHEREAS, Historically, the Congress of the United States and
the President of the United States have interfered with the
District of Columbia's local self-government and Home Rule by
enacting resolutions disapproving, amending, and repealing actions
of the Council of the District of Columbia and the Mayor of the
District of Columbia - including cases concerning the location of
chanceries on December 20, 1979, sexual assault reform on October
1, 1981, schedule of heights on March 12, 1991, and a revised
criminal code on March 20, 2023 - and by imposing budget riders that
control and limit the use of locally-raised tax revenue - including
cases concerning reproductive health services, cannabis use, and
statehood advocacy; and
WHEREAS, On multiple occasions, a majority of the voters of
the District of Columbia have approved initiatives and referendums
expressing their desire for statehood, most recently on November 8,
2016, through which 85.69% of voters 1) agreed that the District
should be admitted to the union as the State of Washington, D.C., 2)
approved the Constitution of the State of Washington, D.C., 3)
approved the proposed boundaries between the State of Washington,
D.C. and the federal enclave, and 4) agreed that the State of
Washington, D.C. shall guarantee an elected representative form of
government; and
WHEREAS, Other state and territorial legislatures in the
United States have introduced, debated, and passed resolutions that
support admitting Washington, D.C. into the Union as a state of the
United States of America; and
WHEREAS, Despite the Constitution of the United States
establishing that "New States may be admitted by the Congress into
this Union," and despite the United States House of Representatives
passing the Washington, D.C. Admission Act on June 26, 2020 and
again on April 22, 2021, which would declare Washington, D.C. to be
"a State of the United States of America, and is declared admitted
into the Union on an equal footing with the other States in all
respects whatever," the Congress of the United States has yet to
grant full statehood to the approximately 700,000 people of
Washington, D.C.; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby support admitting Washington, D.C. into the
Union as a state of the United States of America; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby oppose efforts by the Congress of the United
States and the President of the United States that interfere with
local self-government and Home Rule - including federal laws
disapproving, amending, and repealing actions of the Council of the
District of Columbia and the Mayor of the District of Columbia as
well as federal budget riders that control and limit the use of
locally-raised tax revenue - and calls on the Congress of the United
States and the President of the United States to enact federal
legislation granting statehood to the people of Washington, D.C.;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the
President of the United States, the Vice President of the United
States in their capacity as President of the United States Senate,
the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the
members of the Texas congressional delegation.