Welcome to DC Home Rule.com
This site is for
-Members of Congress looking to understand their Constitutional duties to the city of DC.
-Washington DC residents seeking to solve city problems by engaging Congress.
-Anyone who wants to understand what "Home Rule" means to our nation's capitol.
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Written by DC GOP Advisory Council Member, Constitutional educator and patriot activist Suzzanne Monk, this site is a practical guide on how to use Home Rule to ensure the best and most Constitutional outcomes for the city of Washington, DC and for the nation.
WHAT IS "HOME RULE"?
The "District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973", commonly called 'Home Rule', is a bill enacted by Congress in their Constitutional role described in Article 1, Section 8, paragraph 17 of the US Constitution.
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Congress shall have to power "to exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever over such District (not exceeding 10 miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of Government of the United States".
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Washington, DC as we all know, in fact became that District. Where once pastoral river side villages existed, now a modern urban metropolis exists within the confines of that District with a current population of over 670,000 people.
Home Rule gives the residents of DC the same opportunities of self local governance afforded to other Americans across the United States.
Residents of DC where unable to vote for President until the ratification of the 23rd Amendment in 1961. The Home Rule Act gave DC residents the opportunity to elect their own local government as well, a privilege enjoyed by all other Americans. Home Rule delegated the mundane management of the city of DC to a local government and local government agencies, one that would be accountable to the voters as well as to Congress.
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If operated as intended, Home Rule is an effective system of managing the city of DC with the necessary and consistent oversight of Congress providing the vital checks and balances to the power of the DC Mayor and City Council.
However, if Congress is not consistent with that necessary oversight, the city government of DC becomes bloated, corrupt and dysfunctional.
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This is the situation DC finds itself in today.
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It is my intent with this site to revive the proper functioning of Home Rule through education and activism. The residents of Washington, DC have a unique opportunity. With the proper Home Rule oversight of Congress, we have 535 individual opportunities to keep our local government in check, to ensure efficient functioning, and to protect our Constitutional rights.
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Opposition to Home Rule has come from both sides of the aisle. The Democrats continue to push for unattainable and unconstitutional statehood, and Republicans in response have wrongly threatened to abolish Home Rule.
Neither statehood or abolishing Home Rule is good for DC. Home Rule, when operated properly is the ideal balance of local and federal power.
The proposal for statehood would tear the city apart, weakening the national seat of government of the US. The intent of the Constitution is clear that the purpose of the District is to prevent that. Thus the Democrat false promises of statehood to DC residents have in fact been just that, false.
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But the idea that Congress should manage the garbage pickup and DMV operations in Washington, DC is frightening even to mention. The day to day operation of the city is not conducive to the slow and irrational workings of Congress. The over 670,000 residents do not want to be at the mercy of 535 bureaucrats we did not elect with no vote and hence no voice in our local governance.
Far worse than "Taxation without Representation" is being regulated, educated, medicated, fined, taxed, and policed without representation. If statehood is unconstitutional, I argue equally so should be the abolition of Home Rule, which would remove from the citizens of DC the opportunity to self governance afforded to every other American.
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Clearly, the ideal situation is to USE Home Rule, not lose Home Rule either to statehood or abolition.
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This site is here to help educate Congress and other citizens about how we do just that.
Thank you for being a part of our mission. Please read thru A Smart Congressperson's Guide to DC Home Rule and the DC Resident's Home Rule Handbook to learn more about how DC Home Rule is the right choice for America's Capitol.