Much has been said lately about making Washington, D.C., square again. The focus has been on power imbalances that Virginia enjoys.

Indeed, Virginia claims land — and the voters who live there — that were never intended to belong to the Commonwealth. Virginia does enjoy a disproportionate amount of representation in Washington, benefitting from elevated congressional seats and influence on federal policy.

But there is another angle that is perhaps even more important: it would make D.C. solvent. Permanently.

Today, hundreds of thousands of people who work in and shape the federal government live just outside the borders of Washington, D.C. They write policy, implement it and influence national decisions every day.

Yet their formal political representation runs through Virginia, whose government has its own priorities and incentives. They pay Virginia taxes. Their presence boosts Virginia’s infrastructure. Yet their residence there is primarily due to the proximity of Washington, D.C.

The District has had a long history of solvency problems. The nation’s capital — where these residents actually perform their work  — remains geographically constrained, governing only some of the citizens it serves. The residents of Northern Virginia enjoy the city’s roads, amenities, etc., but bear no responsibility for them.

President........

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