"I'm disappointed that Sen. Hatch is supporting something that I believe is clearly unconstitutional," Chaffetz said. "I think the Democrats are trying to buy some Republican votes by giving something to Utah that we're already going to get."

Opponents of the bill have argued that the Constitution allows full voting rights in the House only for states, and D.C. is not a state. Bill supporters contend that other laws using the word "state" have been applied to D.C. (such as applying interstate commerce laws), and say Congress has the power to give it a seat with full voting rights.

Hatch, an attorney and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, "I have studied the constitutional and policy issues in depth and am convinced now as much as ever that the Constitution allows Congress to provide a House seat for the District."

He added, "Congress provides that Americans living outside the continental U.S. are represented in Congress (by voting for people back in their home states), and I think it is time to provide the same thing for Americans living right here at home in the District of Columbia."

Chaffetz, on the other hand, has proposed solving any constitutional problems by returning residential areas of D.C. to Maryland, from which the current areas of D.C. were formed more than 200 years ago. (Portions of Virginia included in the original D.C. were later returned to that state.)

All other Utah members of Congress voted for the bill last year — except Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, who voted a neutral "present" on it. He said at the time that he supports Utah gaining the extra seat but voted "present" in protest of what he said was poor treatment of Utah as it sought amendments on the bill.

E-mail: lee@desnews.com