House Engrossed

Washington, D.C.; statehood; opposition

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2035

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

declaring the state of arizona's opposition to any federal action to grant statehood to washington, d.c.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Whereas, Article I, section 8, clause 17 of the United States Constitution provides that the federal government be housed in an independent seat separate from any state or congressional district; and

Whereas, Article I, section 8, clause 17 of the United States Constitution states that Congress, not any state legislature, is to exercise exclusive legislation over the district that shall house the federal government; and

Whereas, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 chose to give Congress complete authority over the district so that the federal government would be insulated from undue pressures and interruptions; and

Whereas, James Madison stated in The Federalist Papers No. 43 that maintaining the seat of the federal government as an independent district was an "indispensable necessity"; and

Whereas, the District of Columbia was formed in explicit adherence to the Constitution, and the decision to form the District of Columbia as an independent district without senators or congressional representatives was not a mistake or oversight on the part of the Founding Fathers, but rather an integral part of the original constitutional design to keep the seat of our federal government out of the partisan political process in order to maintain it as "the servant of all the people, and not become our master"; and

Whereas, House Resolution 51 (H.R. 51), a bill introduced in the United States Congress, would irreparably damage the constitutional arrangement between the states and the government of the United States; and

Whereas, the provisioning of statehood status to Washington, D.C. would grant undue influence over the federal government to those who would act as its congressional representatives.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

1. That the Members of the Legislature do inform Congress of our zealous opposition to any attempt by the federal government to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., as such effort would directly violate Article I, section 8, clause 17 of the United States Constitution.

2. That the Members of the Legislature oppose H.R. 51 and any subsequent enactment of the terms of this proposal and implore the Members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to oppose the same.

3. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit a copy of this Resolution to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona and each Speaker of the House of Representatives and each President of the Senate of the other state legislatures.