Congressional Management of The District of Columbia Prior to Home Rule: The Struggle to Understand Power Lines in The Nation's Capital

Authors

James Moeller

Abstract

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes the U.S.Congress to establish a federal capital and "[t]o exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District."' For this reason, Congress has exclusive jurisdiction over the District ofColumbia ("District"), which has neither statehood nor voting representation in Congress. In 1973, Congress enacted the District of Columbia Home Rule Act,which delegated some measure of local self-governance to the District.2Since 1973, District residents have elected their own mayor and city council. Council legislation, however, is still subject to review by Congress, which also approves the annual budget for the District.

First Page

115

Recommended Citation

James Moeller, Congressional Management of The District of Columbia Prior to Home Rule: The Struggle to Understand Power Lines in The Nation's Capital, 19 U.D.C. L. Rev. 115 (2016).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.udc.edu/udclr/vol19/iss1/4