Opinion ID: 1916938
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Self-Government Act

Text: The United States Constitution vests Congress with the exclusive legislative authority for the District of Columbia. U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 17. In 1973, Congress passed the Self-Government Act to relieve Congress of the burden of legislating upon essentially local District matters. D.C. Code 1981, § 1-201(a). Subject to its retention of the ultimate legislative authority over the District of Columbia, Congress delegated certain specific legislative powers to the District of Columbia government. Id. These legislative powers extend to all rightful subjects of legislation within the District consistent with the Constitution of the United States and the provisions of [the] Act .... Id., § 1-204. Congress expressly reserved its right to exercise its constitutional authority as legislature for the District, by enacting legislation for the District on any subject, whether within or without the scope of legislative power granted to the Council by [the] Act, including legislation to amend or repeal any law in force in the District prior to or after enactment of [the] Act and any act passed by the Council. [ Id., § 1-206.] In addition, Congress placed several explicit limitations on the Council's legislative authority. The specific limitations which are pertinent to the issue before us are enumerated in § 1-233: (a) The Council shall have no authority to pass any act contrary to the provision of this Act except as specifically provided in this Act, or to        (3) [e]nact any act, or enact any act to amend or repeal any Act of Congress, which concerns the functions or property of the United States or which is not restricted in its application exclusively in or to the District; (4) [e]nact any act, resolution, or rule with respect to any provision of Title 11 [of the District of Columbia Code] (relating to organization and jurisdiction of the District of Columbia courts);       (8) [e]nact any act or regulation relating to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia or any other court of the United States in the District other than the District courts, or relating to the duties or powers of the United States Attorney or the United States Marshal for the District of Columbia[.] (b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as vesting in the District government any greater authority over the National Zoological Park, the National Guard of the District of Columbia, the Washington Aqueduct, the National Capital Planning Commission, or, except as otherwise specifically provided in this Act, over any federal agency, than was vested in the Commissioner prior to January 2, 1975.