As DC residents, Home Rule affects all of us, especially since President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to take it away. But to understand the implications of Trump’s recent statements, we must understand what Home Rule is, what its effects are in DC, and why Trump is so adamantly against it. 

Home Rule is the right for people in a city/town to govern themselves or make decisions without outside influence.

Before DC existed, the only English settlements in the area were Georgetown and Alexandria, VA (For context, Chick-Fil-A didn’t exist yet). Georgetown soon became a thriving port, facilitating trade and shipments of tobacco from the Maryland colony. After the American Revolution, Congress went on a practical road trip around the thirteen colonies, meeting in eight different cities, which essentially made them each temporary capitals of the US.

Eventually, the road trip ended, and in 1790 the Residence Act was passed for the establishment of a “permanent capital of the government of the United States.” Now the only problem left was choosing the location for the capital. The states of Maryland and Virginia both ceded land along the Potomac, which was accepted and agreed upon by President George Washington, whom the city was eventually named after. He also appointed three commissioners to essentially “supervise the construction and expansion of the city.” The capital finally moved to Washington in 1800 after years of work and construction on land that had previously been farms and woods (sad to think that my favorite Chinese restaurant didn’t exist yet). 

In 1801, Congress passed emergency legislation to divide the District of Columbia into two counties: Washington County, where Maryland’s laws would apply, and Alexandria County, where Virginia’s laws applied (the Virginia section of the district was returned to Virginia in 1846). In 1802, Congress gave district voters the right to elect a local council, along with a presidentially appointed mayor. Around 73 years later, DC returned back to being governed by three commissioners appointed by the president. 

Regardless, DC kept pressing for Home Rule in Congress. The Senate passed bills providing some form of Home Rule six times between 1948 and 1966, but each time, the bill died in the House District of Columbia committee. Starting from 1963, gains began to be made for autonomy for the city, even amid the House Committee continuing to tighten its control on the city’s affairs. The commissioner form of government was replaced in 1967 by a mayor-commissioner and a nine-member city council appointed by the President. Starting from 1963, gains had begun to be made for autonomy for the city, even amid the House Committee continuing to tighten its control on the city’s affairs. 

In 1973, the Home Rule Act finally passed (yay!), and District citizens elected a mayor and a council in late 1974. Additionally, voters approved the election of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners who represent every 2,000 residents and advise the Council on neighborhood concerns. In 1978, an amendment was passed giving the district representation in Congress, but seven years later, it died after failing to be ratified by 38 states. In 1982, voters approved the Constitution for the District. In 1990 the first delegate for Washington was elected, Eleanor Holmes Norton, but with limited voting privileges.

The introduction of these laws and acts has changed DC’s dynamic and role as a city. Only a little more than 50 years ago, we were governed by three random commissioners (who weren’t even from DC), appointed by a president, deciding our laws, our rights, and the budget for everything from schools to transit. Today, we can influence real decision making in our neighborhoods and Congress. Funding for the parks and schools that we want can be decided by us – by electing OUR own officials. We, as residents of our city, can say that we have democracy; we have the power as a people to create real and lasting change that affects how we live our lives and our freedom. “We the people” as it says in the Constitution, have the right to our own democracy – and don’t let anybody else tell you otherwise. 

However, the District to this day still has to fight for its rights. The President still gets to appoint the judges in DC’s courts, and we still don’t have full representation in Congress. Eleanor Holmes Norton (representative for DC in Congress) has yet to take a firm stance on Trump’s cuts on federal workers, and Elon Musk’s growing role in the U.S government – both sensitive issues to DC residents. Mayor Muriel Bowser, mayor of DC since 2015, is also under threat, but not just by Trump – but by other radical Republican politicians, including Senators Andy Ogles and Mike Lee. On February 6, these two senators both introduced the BOWSER Act, which aims to remove Mayor Muriel Bowser and repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule act one year after passage.

Unfortunately, challenges continue to mount for our city thanks to Trump’s rhetoric and continued dismissive attitude and language towards DC and its government. In the eyes of him, and many of his supporters, DC is a city of “bureaucrats” and the embodiment of their opponent, the Democratic Party. Unfortunately, in large parts of this country, people continue to believe the unhealthy and destructive lies that Trump spreads about the city we live in. Why is our city denied democracy because of the dislike of a political party? Unfortunately, for those reasons and more, the process for our city to gain its democratic representation in one of the world’s largest and most influential democracies took much longer than it should have. DC is more than just the “capital city” as it used to say on DC’s old license plates, but a place of diversity, culture, freedom, and much more, and as its residents, we know that. •