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.