House Vote on D.C. Seat Thwarted

"Fearing that many in their party would support Second Amendment rights for District residents, the Democratic leadership shamefully exploited a rule to kill debate and postpone the vote indefinitely," Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement.

Voting-rights supporters blasted the Republican move as a partisan stunt and sought to minimize its impact.

"Today, House Republicans have shown contempt for the half-a-million taxpaying citizens of Washington, D.C., who do not have representation in Congress -- contradicting the basic founding principles of our nation," Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), the House majority leader, said in a statement.

Democrats "are committed to addressing this issue as soon as possible," he said.

The voting bill easily cleared two House committees last week, and House Democrats have pledged to use their 32-seat majority to approve it on the full floor. It then would head to the Senate, where its prospects are uncertain.

Smith's efforts were the latest in a history of Republican maneuvers to repeal the District's gun restrictions, widely viewed as among the strictest in the country. Congress has considered such measures several times since 1999 but has yet to overturn the D.C. law. They have been opposed by the city's political leaders.

The language trumpeting the rights of gun owners comes at a time when the D.C. law is threatened on another front: A federal appellate court recently ruled that the law illegally bars residents from having handguns in homes. D.C. officials say they will appeal.

Smith's language would bar any attempt by the D.C. mayor or council to outlaw guns permitted under federal law. It would repeal the city's ban on semiautomatic rifles and remove criminal penalties for possessing unregistered guns.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said yesterday that eviscerating the city's gun restrictions "is exactly the opposite of what the District needs right now."

The D.C. voting bill "enjoys widespread support," he said. "That's why they had to go to this unusual tactic."

Yesterday's action marked the first time the full House had considered granting the District a voting seat in Congress since 1993, when a statehood measure was defeated. Congress passed a constitutional amendment in 1978 to give D.C. residents voting representation in the House and Senate, but it later died after failing to win ratification from the required 38 states.

District residents have not had a full vote in Congress since 1801, when Washington became the federal enclave.