Congress Again Tries to End D.C. Home Rule

By: Miriam Edelman

Fresh in the new 119th Congress, BOWSER Act bills, which are named after D.C. Mayor’s Muriel Bowser and which would eliminate D.C. home rule and thus end D.C. government, were introduced in each chamber of Congress. The two anti-D.C. bills do not include what would replace D.C.’s government if the bill were passed. Thus, it seems like the bill are messaging bills. Given the Republican trifecta, these anti-D.C. home rule bills could be more successful than similar previous legislation. However, it might not pass the Senate (and thus not become law), as long as the Senate has the filibuster.

Sponsors of the new bills introduced similar bills during the last Congress. In 2023, Representative Andrew Ogles (R-TN) introduced H.R. 5195 – Seat of Government Act, which also would have ended home rule. In 2024, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the same bill with the identical name. Those bills did not become law. DCNOW’s blog discusses last Congress’s bills that would have ended home rule in its pieces, entitled “Trying to End Home Rule” and “Congress Again Tries to Overrule a D.C. Regulation and End D.C. Home Rule.”

Threats to D.C.’s home rule have occurred for decades. As The New York Times reported in October 1995 (when the Republicans controlled both Congressional chambers and when Democrat Bill Clinton was President):

Just a few years ago, when Democrats ran Congress, even statehood for the District seemed a possibility; now home rule is endangered, and some Republicans are talking about giving Washington -- minus the narrow compass of land that houses the Federal Government -- back to Maryland, which would rather not have it.

The same statement could be made today (although now, the Republicans control both Congressional chambers and the White House). Some Republicans still discuss retrocession to Maryland as a possible solution for Washington, D.C. DCNOW’s blog’s piece, entitled “Retrocession,” discusses retrocession.

S. 440

 On February 6, 2025, Lee introduced S. 440 – BOWSER Act. The text of the brief bill is:

 “To repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025

Mr. Lee (for himself, Mr. Scott of Florida, and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act” or the “BOWSER Act”.

SEC. 2. Repeal of District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Effective on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93–198; 87 Stat. 774) is repealed.”

S. 440’s two cosponsors are Rick Scott (R-FL) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Both of them and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) cosponsored Lee’s similar S.4695 - BOWSER Act of 2024. Lummis is still a Senator.

On February 6, 2025, Lee’s office issued a press release about his latest attempt to end self-governance for D.C. residents. That statement said that bills were

named after District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser. In response to the mayor and city council’s failure to prevent violent crime, corruption, and voting by non-citizens, the bill would repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act one year after passage. Congress has the authority to manage the nation’s capital according to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution.

The press release also attacked D.C., echoing anti-D.C. themes of the past, including the last Congress:

Failures of governance in the District of Columbia include:

A long history of official corruption, including the recent federal bribery charges against Councilman Trayon White

Repeated armed carjackings and violence by teenage gangs, including vicious filmed beatings on public transit

Assaults and robberies on Congressional staffers and Members of Congress

Soft-on-crime policies encouraging criminals to victimize innocent Americans

Allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections

Oppressive, backwards regulations leading to a high cost of living

The mention of White is reminiscent of Congressional opposition to Mayor Marion Barry. As the Washingtonian wrote about Barry: “He knew that as long as he was mayor, there would be no return of self-rule and declined to run for a fifth term.” Incidentally, on February 4, 2025, two days before the BOWSER Act was introduced, White became the first D.C. Councilmember to be expelled in history when the D.C. Council expelled him unanimously with a 12-0 vote.

Lee’s office’s press release also includes the following quotations:

-          Lee – “The corruption, crime, and incompetence of the D.C. government has been an embarrassment to our nation’s capital for decades” and “It is long past time that Congress restored the honor and integrity of George Washington to the beautiful city which bears his name.”

-          Ogles – “The radically progressive regime of D.C. Mayor Bowser has left our nation's Capital in crime-ridden shambles” and “Washington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness. Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city. As such, it seems appropriate for Congress to reclaim its Constitutional authority and restore the nation's Capital. The epicenter of not only the United States Federal Government but also the world geopolitics cannot continue to be a cesspool of Democrats' failed policies.”

Lee’s press release also included a link to a one-pager about the BOWSER Act. The one-pager attacked D.C.: “Given the District’s poor track record on drugs, homicides, homelessness, riots, and crime broadly, it is time for Congress to reassert its constitutional responsibility to govern DC.” Then, it continued by discussing Congress’ prevention of D.C.’s crime bill from becoming law in 2023:

As an example of the DC Council’s failure to govern the District, they passed the Revised Criminal Code Act (RCCA) in 2022, which stripped away penalties for crimes. This happened at a time when DC was suffering from a spike in violent crime. The law made violent crimes like carjackings, robberies and even homicides eligible for reduced sentences, making DC a more dangerous place for residents and the millions of Americans that visit DC every year. Thankfully, Congress asserted its responsibility to govern DC by passing a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval that received widespread bipartisan support and was even signed into law by President Biden. If Congress had not acted swiftly, DC would be significantly more dangerous than it already is.

Then, it attacked D.C. and its government:

DC is our nation’s capital, home to the rich history of our country’s unique founding and the political center of our democratic republic. Instead of being a cesspool of crime and corruption, it ought to be a beacon of light to Americans and the world beyond. If residents and visitors cannot visit the capital in safety and petition their elected representatives, then the great American experiment will fail. Because it is the prerogative of Congress to govern DC, and because the DC Council refuses to consider the health and safety of the city, its residents, and visiting Americans, the Home Rule Act must be repealed.

Finally, it states that the BOWSER Act would repeal D.C. home rule, but it does not state what would happen to D.C. if home rule were repealed.

H.R. 1089

On February 6, 2025, Ogles introduced H.R.1089 – BOWSER Act. The bill is extremely short:

To repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 6, 2025

Mr. Ogles (for himself, Mrs. Luna, Mr. Roy, and Ms. Tenney) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To repeal the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident Act” or the “BOWSER Act”.

SEC. 2. Repeal of District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Effective on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93–198; 87 Stat. 774) is repealed.”

H.R. 1089 has the following three cosponsors: Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Chip Roy (R-TX), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY). Interestingly, they did not cosponsor Ogles’ similar H.R.5195 - Seat of Government Act bill of 2023. The three cosponsors of H.R. 5195 were Byron Donalds (R-FL), Matthew Rosendale (R-MT), and Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA). Donalds and Reschenthaler, but not Rosendale, are still Members of Congress.

On February 6th, Ogles’ office issued a press release about the new legislation. This statement contains the same quotation of Lee (but reversing the order of the sentences). In addition, it includes the same quotation of Ogles with the following addition at the end,

That’s why I’ve introduced the Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act, which would repeal the D.C. Home Rule Act. I am grateful to Senator Lee for his willingness to lead this critical legislation in the Senate.

On X, Ogles reposted a February 6, 2025, post about this new anti-D.C. legislation. Ogles wrote the following in his repost: “It’s time Congress end the disastrous Home Rule of DC and clean up the woke policies that have made the city unsafe!!!

@BasedMikeLee

 @elonmusk”

Reactions to the New BOWSER Act Bills

On February 11th, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D-DC) office issued a press release saying that these two anti-D.C. bills are signs “of the significant progress that D.C. has made toward statehood.” In the statement, Norton said:

Senator Lee’s and Congressman Ogles’ one-sentence home rule repeal bills show the anti-democratic rhetoric from Republicans concerning the District of Columbia.

We have made significant progress in our historic march toward making D.C. the 51st state, and this is evidence of that progress. This response from two Republicans from far away states is, predictably, to try to take away what small measure of democracy the more than 700,000 D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown, have. As with previously introduced similar bills, I will defeat these efforts, which will only strengthen our case for statehood.

D.C.’s local elected officials had a variety of reactions.

On February 10th, Bowser said:

Home Rule is a limited self-government, but what we should be focused on is our pathway to becoming the 51st state.

I know there’s talks about other places being the 51st state, but we’re going to be the 51st state. What that means is that we’ll be treated just like every other American. Right now, we’re not, because we pay taxes. In fact, we pay more taxes than most, because we’re larger than two states, but we don’t have representation in Congress.

When important things are being debated like cabinet nominees, we neither have a voice or a vote.

In the House, our congresswoman is a delegate, but she doesn’t have a vote. So, we are reminded what it means to be full citizens of this nation and we can only get that through statehood.

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson issued the following statement:

[H]is legislation is premised on false statements and inaccurate facts. Overall violent crime in the District is the lowest it’s been in over 30 years. The idea of canceling our Home Rule would be a serious step backward for managing the District. We are a well-run city, often to the envy of policymakers and big cities around the country. We have had 28 clean annual audits in a row, and our pensions are fully funded.

Every year we watch as members of Congress, with no connection to the District, introduce legislation or insert appropriation riders that detrimentally impact the functions of our government. This counterproductive congressional interference hurts our ability to manage the local affairs of our government.

Incidentally, Mendelson spoke about D.C. Home Rule and Congress during the D.C. Council swearing-in ceremony on January 2, 2025:

This is the start of the 51st year of Home Rule.  We are all anxious with the changeover in the federal government, given the anti-Home Rule rhetoric.  But we have a very good story to tell of how we have managed the past half-century.  Not only is our Home Rule government far, far more responsive to our citizens than the federal commissioners ever were, but our government is far, far better – no unfunded pension system, adequately paid teachers, a 35% drop in violent crime last year, and a leader among cities and states in the struggle to create more affordable housing and fight against homelessness.

And if members of Congress do come after us, I’ll be the first to point out how bad they are at running governments: failing to confirm the appointment of our judges, which impacts crime, underfunding our police year after year (totaling over $83 million over the past four years), actually contributing to crime by prohibiting the regulation of recreational cannabis, failing to adopt their budgets on time, and constantly on the verge of a government shutdown.  And they think they’re better than us?

D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto defended D.C.’s handling of crime with her following statement:

Government has no greater responsibility than to provide for the safety of its residents – and that is a responsibility we share and take very seriously across our District government. This past year, the Council and the Mayor came together to pass and implement my Secure DC legislation with over 100 different public safety interventions – and we are seeing the results. The District ended 2024 with a 35% reduction in violent crime and the lowest level of violent crime in decades.

I along with my Council colleagues, and the Mayor continue to work everyday [sic.] to help every resident and visitor be safe in our beautiful city. Under our current criminal legal justice system, there is already an outsized role of the federal government as compared to other jurisdictions. We welcome the partnership of the federal government to fulfill their roles in our system including confirming judges to our courts, enforcing bench warrants, and ensuring there are sufficient local prosecutors at the United States Attorney’s Office to pursue cases impacting our community.

Incidentally, in July 2025, Pinto’s office posted a newsletter, entitled “Brooke's Briefing: DC Home Rule Explained & Practical Impacts of DC's Lack of Statehood.” The newsletter made the following key points:

One of the most visible ways DC makes sure to keep our lack of statehood at the front of anyone’s mind who spends time outside (hint: everyone!) is through the tagline on our license plates: “End Taxation Without Representation.” This digs at the fact that DC residents pay more in federal taxes per person than any other state without full representation in Congress.

‍Congress has repeatedly interfered with DC’s efforts to expand local autonomy throughout the District’s history. Only in 1963 did District residents gain the right to vote for the President and Vice-President – poignantly noting that Black and minority DC residents, who comported a majority of the District’s population, still faced significant barriers to voting until Congress passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Home Rule was officially established in 1973, which allowed District residents to elect a Mayor and Council and pass legislation for the local jurisdiction.

While these strides were meaningful, Congress still has the power to overturn each and every law the representatives of DC pass, as well as to limit the ways in which the District can choose to spend its local dollars. These limitations are colloquially known as “riders,” which are legislative mechanisms that clarify or limit how government dollars can be spent.

Then, the newsletter discusses the effect of the abortion and cannabis riders in Congressional D.C. appropriations bills:

Abortion: The Hyde Amendment from 1976 prevents federal funds to be used in any way for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment. Other states may choose to use their state dollars to support abortion care. However, a DC-specific rider prevents us from using our local funds to provide health coverage for abortion, including through the DC Medicaid program. This rider significantly lowers access to abortion care for low-income residents.

Cannabis: In 2014, DC passed Initiative 71 (i-71) to legalize recreational marijuana use and cultivation. Soon thereafter, Congress passed the Harris Rider to limit DC’s implementation of i-71 by preventing us from creating a legal framework for the sale or taxation of cannabis. Consequently, DC is unable to regulate or tax cannabis, which hurts consumer safety, burdens business-owners, and directly goes against the will of District voters. This has led to the proliferation of illegal cannabis businesses throughout our city.

Pinto’s office discussed D.C.’s status causes D.C.’s lack of total control over D.C,’s criminal legal system.

DC Courts: Unlike other states whose governors may appoint judges, the District’s Superior Court and Court of Appeals must be appointed by the President of the United States and approved by the United States Senate. This system leads to persistent vacancies on our courts, which slows down the administration of justice and overburdens the judges we do have with extremely heavy caseloads. A backlogged court system hurts our public safety interests.

Local Prosecution: DC does not have control or oversight over our local prosecutor’s office, which handles all adult criminal cases. As with our judges, the United States Attorney of the District of Columbia must be appointed by the President. I continue to work closely with our United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, to ensure coordination and open communication between all of our public safety partners. However, the USAO in DC has to manage case loads of their federal cases combined with our local cases.

Corrections and Parole System: DC does not have control over a local prison system, which means that District residents who are sentenced to federal prison can be sent anywhere across the country. Consequently, maintaining relationships with their family or community becomes much more challenging and hampers the ability for returning citizens to make a smooth transition once they have served their sentence and can come back home. This in turn correlates with higher recidivism rates and hurts their chances to create a safe and stable life.

Police Department: While DC currently has oversight over the Metropolitan Police Department, the President could try at any time take Federal control over the department at their will. Additionally, our National Guard reports to the President, whereas other states have the ability to call their own National Guard for emergencies. This limits DC’s ability to be quickly responsive to circumstances on the ground, which we all saw too well on January 6, 2021.

On February 13, 2025, Councilmember Matt Frumin’s newsletter said:

We are in the midst of what some in our country think of as a very exciting time, but what I see as a deeply perilous one. The re-introduction in Congress of an anti-Home Rule bill, with the BOWSER Act moniker, is just one of many threats to our autonomy. The very preliminary efforts in Congress to reduce our Medicaid reimbursement rates, rumblings of Presidential action on crime and the rhetoric around the rights of the LGBTQ+ community are all troubling. Clearly, statehood is the only answer, but given the current political landscape, it is not on the horizon, so we have no choice but to do the best we can with the hand we have been dealt. It is in that context that I will do everything I can to defend Home Rule.

D.C.’s shadow Representative Oye Owolewa issued a press statement condemning the bills, which it said is “yet another attempt to strip the residents of Washington, D.C. of their fundamental right to self-governance.” In this statement, Owolewa described the bills as “nothing more than an attempt to strip away our autonomy and undermine the voices of more than 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home.” He also said, “D.C. residents serve in the military, pay federal taxes, and contribute to this country like every other American. Yet, time and time again, we are forced to defend our basic right to self-governance from those who do not represent us and do not understand our community’s needs.” He added “Rather than dismantling Home Rule, Congress should be working towards full statehood for D.C. ensuring our residents have the same rights and representation as every other American.”

Owolewa is more fearful about D.C. during the current Republican trifecta. He said, “This time with Trump in office and the GOP control, we’re far more concerned than we’ve ever been before.” He also remarked, “It’s not time to hide or hope Trump doesn’t do the wrong thing. We really need to stand up for ourselves.”

D.C.’s Shadow Senator Ankit Jain; the ACLU of the District of Columbia; American Association of University Women, DC Branch; DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice; DC Democratic Party; DC Fiscal Policy Institute; DC NOW; DC Vote; District of Columbia Democratic Party; Free DC; Neighbors United for DC Statehood; Task Force for Democracy; and Ward 3 Democratic Committee issued a joint press release on January 7, 2025. According to this statement:

This bill undermines the principles of self-governance and local control that conservatives have long championed. D.C. residents, the majority of whom are people of color, have frequently been subject to congressional override of local policies, and this latest federal overreach intensifies that long-standing injustice. For decades, Congress has blocked D.C. from making its own decisions on everything from controlling our own budget to having a congressionally-imposed building height-limit. No other jurisdiction in the country faces such an assault on its right to self-govern.

It also includes the following quotations:

-          Jain – “I am confident that we will defeat this anti-democratic messaging bill” and “With so many pressing national issues to address, I question whether members of Congress want to take responsibility for governing a city with the size and importance of Washington, D.C. I urge the people of D.C. to join us in this fight and show Congress just how strongly we oppose this authoritarian power-grab.”

-          Vanessa Batters-Thompson, Executive Director of the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice – “This bill offers zero guidance on how D.C.’s local affairs would be handled in the absence of a democratically elected Council and Mayor, suggesting it was intended as an attack on D.C. residents versus a thoughtful plan for improving the city” and “While introduced under the guise of better management, this bill completely ignores a historical reality: The Home Rule Act was adopted on December 24, 1973 in part to relieve Congress of the burden of legislating on local matters.”

-          Deirdre Brown, Chair of the Ward 3 Democratic Committee - “The Bowser ACT is not about governance—it is about control. For too long, Congress has treated D.C. as a political pawn, overriding the will of its residents while refusing to grant them the full rights of citizenship” and “This bill is an insult to the principles of self-determination and local control that lawmakers claim to uphold, and we will not stand by as our democracy is dismantled. The people of D.C. will fight back, and we call on every American who believes in fairness and democracy to stand with us."

-          Monica Hopkins, Executive Director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia – “Members of Congress were elected by their constituents to represent them on matters of national importance. They were not elected to waste their time and taxpayer money on dictating the day-to-day affairs of District residents, who have our own local government” and “It is deeply inefficient for Congress to spend their time on whether people can turn right on red lights in D.C. or on how the trash gets picked up in our neighborhoods. Micromanaging D.C. is not anything that voters elected Members of Congress to accomplish.”

-          Kelsye Adams, Executive Director of Long Live GoGo and Organizing Director at DC Vote – “The introduction of the BOWSER Act is a blatant attempt to strip away the hard-earned rights of nearly 700,000 DC residents. This federal overreach threatens our autonomy and disregards the principle of self-governance” and “We demand that Congress keep their hands off DC and allow us to manage our own affairs. It's time to free DC from this undemocratic interference.”

-          Keya Chatterjee, Executive Director of Free DC – “Representative Ogles could be using his time right now to go after the billionaire who has compromised national security at multiple federal agencies this week” and “It’s incompetent and racist for this man to presume that he knows DC better than the people who live here, raise families here, or who are duly elected by the voters here.”

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and lifelong Washingtonian Tiffany Nichole Johnson also critiqued the bills. She said:

Two ‘P’ words: performative and punitive.

They feel like they can pull this out every couple of years or so and that they’ll get whatever they want from the Mayor or D.C. Council.

They get us all in an uproar, all in a tizzy, taking away from what really matters to D.C. residents such as myself. And it’s really tiring that we have to go through this.

I think a lot of times people forget that D.C. has about 700,000 actual residents born and raised who live here. It’s not just the seat of the government, it is a home.

According to her, important D.C. programs would be in jeopardy if D.C. home rule ends.

            Local D.C. organizations have also denounced these bills. On February 6, 2025, DC Vote issued a press release. DC Vote said D.C. politicians are “best positioned to address community needs and to work with residents on practical solutions that ensure security and prosperity for all.” According to DC Vote, D.C. is the only jurisdiction in the U.S. that has the “threat of having its local autonomy revoked at a moment’s notice.” The statements contains the following quotations of its cofounder Daniel Solomon:

This bill flies in the face of basic democratic principles by revoking DC’s limited local autonomy

The District’s residents have fought too hard and too long for self-governance to see it dismantled by Members of Congress who do not answer to the people of DC.

Make no mistake: This bill is a thinly veiled attempt to punish DC for political differences under the guise of public safety.

We all agree that public safety is paramount, but dismantling home rule will do nothing to make our communities safer. Instead, it will silence the voices of DC residents and threaten the progress we’ve made on criminal justice reforms, economic growth, and local accountability.

The District is not a colony, and DC residents are not second-class citizens.

We deserve the same rights and freedoms that every American expects, including the right to self-government and a vote in our federal legislature.

Patrice Sulton, who is the D.C. Justice Lab’s Executive Director, said,

This bill is the latest attempt in a long, racist history of denying D.C. residents the right to govern themselves. In 1890, Senator John Morgan openly compared Black D.C. residents to 'rats' and called for Congress to 'burn down the barn' to get rid of them. Senator Tom Cotton opposed D.C. statehood by invoking racist stereotypes, asking, 'Would you trust Marion Barry [as a governor]?' Last year, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) called D.C. public schools ‘inmate factories’ during a congressional hearing—revealing exactly how those who oppose D.C. self-governance view our community. This is not about governance. It is about maintaining white control over a majority-Black city. We see it for what it is, and we will fight back.”

On February 6, 2025, Free DC issued a press release, entitled “DC doesn’t know you, Andy Ogles: Representative from Tennessee charged with corruption thinks he knows better than the 700,000 people of DC.” That statement includes the following quotations:

-          Nee Nee Taylor, Executive Director of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams and co-founder of Free DC – “DC doesn't know you, Andy Ogles,” and “As a DC native, someone who was born and raised here, I can tell you one thing for certain: Representatives in Congress do not care about the people of DC. Ogles needs to go mind his own state. Nonsense like this is why we need to Free DC.”

-          Keya Chatterjee, Executive Director of Free DC – “Representative Ogles could be using his time right now to go after the billionaire who has compromised national security at multiple federal agencies this week, or explaining to his constituents why he was charged with corruption,” and “It’s incompetent and racist for this man to presume that he knows DC better than the people who live here, raise families here, or who are duly elected by the voters here.”

George Washington University Professor Leah Brooks is skeptical about the bills, saying:

Basically what happens the legislation says is, we get rid of home rule as it was defined in 1973 by Congress. What it doesn’t say is, what happens after that? So, what happens after that?

Do we go back to the Home Rule we had as of 1967 that Lyndon Johnson passed? Do we go back to Congress managing every facet of D.C.? It’s hard for me to imagine that Congress wants to become the city council of Washington D.C.

Final Thoughts

 D.C. home rule should stand. Like other Americans, D.C. residents deserve the same right to self-governance. As then-President Lyndon B. Johnson wrote to the Speaker of the House on August 4, 1965, to urge the House of Representatives to consider a bill on D.C. home rule: “It is not a partisan measure, nor should it be. Democrats and Republicans alike honor traditions of democracy and self-government.” D.C. autonomy fundamentally is a civil rights issue, not a partisan one.