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Poll Shows Support for D.C. Vote
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The White House has threatened a veto if the bill passes the Senate.
Despite such opposition, a narrow majority of Republicans -- 52 percent -- back the legislation, along with independents -- 54 percent.
"This is not a party issue, except to the insiders," Davis said. He noted that the poll found clear majorities of Republicans, as well as Democrats, supporting the broad idea of giving the District a full House vote. "Most Americans feel this ought to happen," he said.
Legal scholars have differed over the bill's constitutionality. Supporters say the Constitution gives Congress such sweeping power over the District that lawmakers can give the city a House representative.
Norton suggested that some opposition to her bill might be because of a lack of awareness that the measure includes a representative from Utah. Democrats "know they're for the bill for D.C. There has been almost no attention paid to Utah," she said.
But the bill has drawn criticism from statehood advocates and some other proponents of more expansive D.C. voting rights. They contend that the legislation sells the city short by providing representation in the House but not the Senate. Norton argues that a gradual approach to full representation is most likely to succeed.
The legislation would guarantee Utah the extra House seat until 2012. Then it would go to whichever state would be due to pick up a representative, based on the 2010 Census.
Polling analyst Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.
