"D.C. is not a state," Conant said, referring to one of the bill's main criticisms that the Constitution specifies that people "of the several states" elect members to the House, which leaves the District of Columbia out of the equation.

The bill would give Utah an at-large seat in Congress — as part of a bipartisan deal — in exchange for House voting rights to the District of Columbia. This way, neither the Democrats nor Republicans would get a political advantage, because Utah's seat would likely go to a Republican while the district's seat would likely go to a Democrat, according to the bill's supporters. Utah just missed getting a new seat after the 2000 Census. The district has not had a vote in Congress since 1801.

Bennett said it "looks like we'll just have to wait" until the 2010 Census gives Utah another U.S. House seat. There is little doubt that Utah's growing population will give it at least one more seat, with the possibility that Utah could get even two additional House seats come 2011.

Bennett said he liked a former version of the bill, one that didn't increase the membership of the House to 437 permanently.

If any senator were to threaten a fillibuster, it would take 60 votes to bring the D.C. vote bill to the Senate floor, and Bennett said, "I'm pretty sure there are not 60 votes" for the measure. "I don't see it getting to the floor" for a final passage vote, he added.

But Mower said a special congressional committee on constitutional matters has twice voted the D.C. rights bill out, so those concerns should have been answered.

Similar criticisms of the White House's came up during the committee markup Thursday, although the committee eventually passed "The District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007" with a 21-13 vote.

Republicans made numerous attempts to amend the bill, although all failed, including one by Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah.

Cannon wanted to change the at-large portion of the bill, giving the state of Utah the option to use a proposed four-district map approved by its state Legislature at the end of last year.

An amendment offered by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., would have required the state to use a map approved last year instead of the at-large seat, but it also failed. Sensenbrenner was chairman of the committee last year and put the bill on hold until the map was drawn. Congress adjourned before it could pass the bill.

Other failed amendments would have kept the changes from taking effect until the 112th or 113th session, pushing it years beyond the current 110th session, while others would have made congressional districts out of military bases.

Cannon was one of only two Republicans who voted for the bill. Zherka was surprised to see Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., vote for the bill, which he said will be persuasive for other Republicans. He is sure the bill will pass the House but is not sure on the "margin of victory."

"It was a grueling day and we're glad that it's over," Zherka said.

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E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com