“The Constitution specifies that only the people of the several states elect representatives to the House, and D.C. is not a state,” White House spokesman Alex Conant told The Salt Lake Tribune.
The House Judiciary Committee passed legislation 21-13 Thursday to expand the House by two seats — one for the heavily Democratic District and the other for Utah, which is overwhelmingly Republican.
Utah officials say they believe the state would have qualified for a fourth seat after the 2000 Census, but Mormon missionaries living abroad were not counted.
A small but vocal number of activists in the District have long pushed for the city to not only receive representation, but to also be granted full statehood.
How the White House's comments might affect the bill was not immediately clear Friday. The bill has been gaining traction with Democrats, who have the majority in both chambers of Congress.
cmabeus@dcexaminer.com
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