# Plain Language Summary: Seat of Government Act

This bill would eliminate the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which is the law that currently allows Washington, D.C. residents to have a local government that makes many of their own decisions. Right now, D.C. has a mayor and city council that handle local issues like schools, police, housing, and local taxes. If this bill passed, that system would be completely dismantled, and D.C. would lose the ability to govern itself on these local matters.

The practical effect would be that Congress—the federal government in Washington—would take direct control over D.C.'s local affairs instead of letting D.C. residents and their elected officials make those decisions. This is significant because D.C. has a population of around 700,000 people, making it larger than several U.S. states, yet they would have no local government of their own. Currently, Congress already has some oversight power over D.C., but the Home Rule Act gives residents substantial control over their own city. Repealing it would essentially turn D.C. back into a territory directly controlled by the federal government rather than a place where people can elect their own local leaders.

This would be a dramatic change for D.C. residents, who have had home rule since 1973. It would affect everything from how local schools operate to how police departments are run to how local tax money is spent. The bill doesn't explain what would replace the Home Rule Act or how D.C. would actually be governed after repeal, so it's unclear exactly what the new system would look like. As written, it's a straightforward repeal with no transition plan or alternative governance structure included.

Seat of Government Act

Ogles, Andrew

Seat of Government Act This bill repeals the District of Columbia (DC) Home Rule Act. The DC Home Rule Act provides a charter for the local government of the District of Columbia authorizing DC officials to legislate, conduct elections, and otherwise govern over local affairs.