District of Columbia retrocession
Retrocession, when referring to the District of Columbia, means the return of part of the District of Columbia to the states from which territory was ceded to create the national capital of the United States.
Virginia Retrocession
The District was created in 1790 by the ceding of 100 square miles of land by Virginia and Maryland along the Potomac River. In 1846, the Virginia portion of the District was given back, or retroceded, to the state by the federal government.
Proposed Maryland Retrocession
There is a small movement to have most of the remainder of the District given back to Maryland. Retrocession would take a simple act of Congress, though it is generally accepted that Congress would not take such a step without the approval of Marylanders and Washingtonians via referenda. Currently, there is little support for retrocession on either side of the border.
Such a move would be constitutional if at least the part of the District that contains the main offices of government (the National Capital Service Area) were to remain in the District officially; the U.S. Constitution requires the national capital to be no more than 100 square miles, but does not specify a minimum size for the District.
However, such a move would require, as a technicality, the repeal of the 23rd Amendment due to there being no citizens of such a District (the only residents of such a rump District would be the First Family, who vote in their hometown, not the White House).
The remainder of Washington would become a city in Maryland, allowing residents to vote for Maryland's Congressional delegation like any other resident of the state, as well as in state elections.
Arguments for Retrocession
Proponents like the Committee for the Capital City feel such a move would be of financial benefit to Washington; the city would be relieved of burdens not shared by other American cities such as running a prison system and a Department of Motor Vehicles, and it would finally be free from the veto power of Congress. Students in Washington would be better able to attend college; they would receive in-state status for University System of Maryland. Maryland would benefit from the prestige of being the home state of the national capital of the world's superpower and would gain additional tax revenue. Congress would benefit from no longer having to scrutinize the decisions of the city government; committees overseeing DC government have traditionally been amongst the least prestigious jobs for members.
Arguments against Retrocession
Proponents of DC statehood are against the idea of retrocession because they feel that the city, having been separated from Maryland since the 18th century, has a separate identity; although Maryland is mere city blocks away from many Washingtonians, there is no connection to the state for them. Others see it as a means to block proper representation, which they feel includes two senators. Since these senators would be almost certainly Democratic, the Republican-dominated Senate would not be eager to admit the District as a state. It would have less problem giving the city back to Maryland, as that would, at worst, mean one more Democrat in the House. Many in Washington object to Maryland's use of the death penalty, which has been abolished in the District. Many in Maryland object to retrocession because they feel that the city, which has relatively high crime and poverty rates, would be a burden on state government agencies. Others feel that the federal government should have a role in running the national capital; such a role allows for proper management of the city as a symbol of the nation and can be used to reject projects that would be seen by a majority of Americans as ruinous to the capital.