D.C. in the House

WE ARE taking Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) at his word that he's a true convert to the belief that the disenfranchisement of D.C. residents is unfair. We'll even give him -- unlike other members of his party -- points for following through on ways to redress that injustice. Where we fault him, though, is misreading D.C. residents' desire for their rights as American citizens as a way to shirk duty to country.

Last week, Mr. Gohmert introduced legislation that would exclude District residents from having to pay federal income tax on money earned in the city until they attain full voting representation. Mr. Gohmert said that the city's licenses plates proclaiming "taxation without representation" had gotten to him. Indeed, it was not so long ago that Mr. Gohmert argued that D.C. residents really didn't need a representative because they had 435 members of the House already looking out for their interests.

Aside from the practical problems of his proposal (do we really want to turn the nation's capital into a tax haven for the rich?), Mr. Gohmert insults the men and women who make this city their home and simply want a voice in their government. Exempting them from taxes makes them lesser American citizens. Mr. Gohmert's other legislative suggestion -- retrocession of the city to Maryland -- is equally offensive because it would obliterate the District's unique identity. And it's offered without a scintilla of support from either the District or Maryland and with some questioning its constitutionality.

A better way to right the District wrong is advancing through Congress in the form of the D.C. House Voting Rights Act. The measure would permanently expand the 435-member House by two seats, with one going to the overwhelmingly Democratic District and the other to the state next in line to pick up a seat. For the next few years, the seat would go to Republican-leaning Utah. A key Senate committee passed the bill last week; House Democratic leaders hope to bring it to the floor early next month. There's no question that in balancing the District against another state, supporters are mindful of politics. At its heart, though, this is a bill about a principle -- that some half a million Americans should, yes, pay their taxes and have a representative who can vote.