Full Breakdown
Republican Bill to Re-Annex Arlington and Alexandria into D.C. Sparks Constitutional Debate
4/25/2026, 2:09:33 AM
The Make DC Square Again Act
On April 23, 2026 Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) introduced the Make DC Square Again Act, which would move Arlington County and Alexandria to D.C., restoring the ten-mile-square (100-sq-mi) district set by the 1790 Residence Act and undoing the 1846 retrocession of about 31 sq mi.
Historical and Legal Background
The district changed in 1846 when Congress retroceded Alexandria, Arlington County, Pentagon area and Arlington National Cemetery to Virginia. Experts disagree whether Congress had authority to cede or now reverse that land.
Political Trigger
Virginia voters approved a referendum on April 22, 2026 that would let the legislature redraw districts before 2026 midterms. Projections show it could give Democrats ten of eleven House seats, adding four seats, gain prompted McCormick’s bill.
Demographic Impact
Arlington and Alexandria house 400,000 residents, 250,000 voters who voted 77 % for Kamala Harris and 20 % for Donald Trump in 2024. Annexation would move these voters to D.C., depriving them of full Senate and House representation.
Official Statements
McCormick says the act restores the district and ends an ‘artificial advantage’ for Democrats. Beyer calls it an ‘embarrassing tantrum’ and unconstitutional.
Criticism and Opposition
Norton warns stripping hundreds of thousands of Virginia voters violates home-rule principles. Yass argues the bill shows why D.C. needs full democratic rights. Musgrove calls the measure a Virginia voter-suppression bill. The ACLU calls it a political football highlighting the need for D.C. statehood.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Scholars disagree whether Congress can reverse 1846 retrocession. Bill’s text is unavailable, and Capital Project’s funding and leadership are unclear. Virginia judge blocked referendum’s certification, appeal may reach Supreme Court.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Make DC Square Again Act restores the original ten-mile-square District and ends the artificial advantage Virginia Democrats have recently gained from all the federal bureaucrats moving into Virginia,” — Rich McCormick, Rep. (R-Ga.)
- “Rich McCormick’s bill is an embarrassing legislative tantrum. It is also unconstitutional, and a stupid waste of time,” — Don Beyer, Rep. (D-Va.)
- “Disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Virginia residents by making them D.C. residents without their input — or DC’s — violates the very principles I’ve fought for my entire career: home rule and consent of the governed,” — Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delegate (D-DC)
- “The residents of the District are not fully participating in the democracy of this country because we are not allowed to,” — Alicia Yass, Advocacy Director, ACLU of D.C.
What’s Next
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones will appeal judge’s block of referendum. Make DC Square Again Act’s fate uncertain; supporters push for an executive order, opponents await Supreme Court review. 2026 midterms will test if change could alter House seats.
