Letter to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House Transmitting the District of Columbia Charter Bill.

[ Released April 4, 1963. Dated April 3, 1963 ]

Dear Mr.__________:

I transmit herewith for consideration by the Congress a proposed District of Columbia Charter Act. This bill is designed to reaffirm, at the seat of our National Government, our basic American belief that government should be responsible to the governed. We should no longer delay in restoring to the people of the District a fundamental fight enjoyed as a matter of course by all other Americans--the right to self-government by the elective process.

The proposed bill is basically the same as the one which I recommended to the 87th Congress. It would authorize (1) a locally elected mayor, a seven-member legislative council and a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives; (2) full participation by District residents in election campaigns; (3) a specific formula for annual payment by the Federal Government of its proper share of the expenses of the District Government, which will enable the District Government to stabilize its long-range fiscal plans and its tax and borrowing programs; and (4) the transfer to the District of certain independent agencies which perform essentially municipal functions closely related to other functions now performed by the District Government.

My present proposal also reflects the changes which have been made by Public Law 87-849 in laws dealing with conflicts of interest; reflects certain proposals which I transmitted to the Congress on February 11, 1963 in relation to the Federal payment to the District and the District's borrowing authority; and contains a number of other perfecting changes. A letter from the President of the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, which I am also enclosing, describes the provisions of the draft bill in some detail.

The proposed bill gives full recognition and protection to the substantial interest which the National Government has, and must continue to have, in its capital city. Not only would the President be authorized to review and disapprove any District legislative action which would adversely affect the Federal interest, but Congress would retain full authority to enact legislation overriding that enacted by the District Government.

I strongly believe that enactment of this legislation not only would eliminate a constitutional anomaly which has already persisted much too long, but also would secure for the District more effective governmental organization and management. It would also, and more importantly, place the responsibility for solving local problems where it belongs in the American scheme of government--in the people of the District of Columbia and their elected representatives. I hope that early hearings can be held on the proposed bill and that favorable action by the Congress will follow.

Sincerely,

JOHN F. KENNEDY