Recognizing the enduring cultural and historical significance of emancipation in the Nation's capital on the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's signing of the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, which established the "first freed" on April 16, 1862, and celebrating attaining the requisite number of cosponsors for passage of the District of Columbia statehood bill in the House of Representatives.

This resolution recognizes District of Columbia Emancipation Day, marking the anniversary of the end of slavery in the District of Columbia and symbolizing the aspirations of its citizens for the same rights and freedoms afforded to all U.S. citizens.

The resolution recognizes that the Washington, D.C. Admission Act has more than the requisite number of cosponsors necessary to pass in the House of Representatives and that the House should pass that Act in 2020.