Full Breakdown
Make DC Square Again Act: GOP Bill to Reverse 1846 Retrocession
4/25/2026, 11:23:26 AM
Core Event
On April 22-23 2026 Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) introduced the “Make DC Square Again Act,” a bill to repeal the 1846 retrocession that placed Arlington County and Alexandria in Virginia, restoring D.C. to its ten-mile-square (?100 sq mi).
Background & Context
The 1790 Residence Act defined a ten-mile-square district. In 1846 Congress authorized returning about 31 sq mi—now Arlington and Alexandria—to Virginia, citing local economic concerns and slavery. Scholars argue the Enclave Clause never allowed such cession, making the retrocession’s legality disputed.
Data & Statistics & Impact
Arlington (?26 sq mi) and Alexandria (?15.75 sq mi) house ~400,000 residents. Virginia’s redistricting referendum, approved by 51.46% statewide and 79.9% in Arlington, could give Democrats a 10-1 House advantage; moving the area to D.C. would strip its residents of congressional representation and erase that advantage.
Official Statements & Responses
McCormick says the act “restores the ten-mile-square District and ends the artificial advantage Virginia Democrats have gained from federal bureaucrats moving into Virginia.” Beyer calls it “an embarrassing legislative tantrum… unconstitutional and a stupid waste of time.” Norton warns it would “violate the very principles… home rule and consent of the governed.” Yass says the bill shows why D.C. “needs the full benefits and rights of a democracy.”
Criticism & Opposition
The ACLU of D.C. says the proposal highlights residents’ lack of democratic participation. Musgrove calls it “a Virginia voter suppression bill.” Legal scholars note Enclave Clause gives Congress authority over the district but does not permit retrocession. Virginia Democrats argue the measure would disenfranchise constituents; Governor Spanberger’s office urges focus on inflation and economic concerns instead of territorial changes.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the land area: some cite 31 sq mi, others 41.75 sq mi. The district’s current size is reported as 68 sq mi, yet the Constitution allows up to 100 sq mi. The bill requires both congressional approval and Virginia’s General Assembly consent, but the Assembly is Democrat-controlled. Funding and leadership of American Capital Project remain undisclosed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The residents of the District are not fully participating in the democracy of this country because we are not allowed to,” — Alicia Yass, ACLU of D.C.
- “Rich McCormick’s bill is an embarrassing legislative tantrum.” — Don Beyer, Representative, Virginia.
- “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.C.
- “The Constitution never authorized Congress to carve pieces out of the federal District and hand them back to a state,” — Rich McCormick, Representative.
What’s Next
The bill faces slim odds, needing both congressional passage and Virginia’s General Assembly approval, unlikely under Democratic control. Virginia’s Supreme Court will review the redistricting referendum’s legality, and Attorney General Jay Jones will appeal the certification block. The American Capital Project is lobbying for a presidential executive order while opponents await judicial clarification.
