Story perspectives

McCormick Proposes Restoring D.C. Borders, Critics Call Unconstitutional

4/25/2026

Summary

McCormick Pushes Expansion

Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) introduced the Make D.C. Square Again Act returning Arlington and Alexandria to D.C.
The bill seeks to reverse the 1846 retrocession, restore District’s 100-square-mile size, and shift 250,000 votes to District, with McCormick saying Enclave Clause gives Congress authority over D.C. borders.
Rep. Donald Beyer (D-Va.) called the measure unconstitutional and a waste of time while Governor Abigail Spanberger’s office rejected it citing prices and inflation.

Summary

Williams Backs Retrocession

The bill would return Arlington and Alexandria to D.C., shifting 250,000 voters, reshaping Virginia’s legislature and weakening the Democratic congressional map.
It revives Sen. Benjamin Wade’s 1866 retrocession and Sen. William Preston’s 1836 failed cession.
Delegate Wren Williams called it a “healing process” as the Oversight Project sued to return the cities to D.C., citing the bill.

Summary

Jones Appeals

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones will appeal the court order blocking certification of the referendum.
ACLU of D.C. director Alicia Yass warned the bill undermines democratic participation for district residents.
Civil-rights groups say the proposal distracts from the push for full D.C. statehood.
Legal experts note the measure needs approval from Congress and Virginia jurisdictions, and that removing Alexandria and Arlington would shift about 400,000 voters out of Virginia’s rolls.

Summary

Republicans Propose Retrocession

Senate Republicans have floated returning the District of Columbia to Maryland as an alternative path to full congressional representation.
George Derek Musgrove, UMBC associate professor of history, called the Make DC Square Again Act a Virginia voter-suppression bill and questioned its constitutionality.
In the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris won 77% of the vote in Alexandria and Arlington while President Donald Trump received about 20%.

History

Historical Context

On July 9 1846 Congress approved the retrocession of the City of Alexandria and Alexandria County to Virginia, undoing the 1790 Residence Act’s inclusion of the port city within the 10-mile-square federal district. The change restored Virginia’s pre-District borders. Rep. Rich McCormick’s “Make D.C. Square Again” bill aims to reverse that 1846 transfer, reshaping the District’s boundaries and Virginia’s congressional map.

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McCormick Pushes Expansion

Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) introduced the Make D.C. Square Again Act returning Arlington and Alexandria to D.C.
The bill seeks to reverse the 1846 retrocession, restore District’s 100-square-mile size, and shift 250,000 votes to District, with McCormick saying Enclave Clause gives Congress authority over D.C. borders.
Rep. Donald Beyer (D-Va.) called the measure unconstitutional and a waste of time while Governor Abigail Spanberger’s office rejected it citing prices and inflation.

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