In the House of Representatives for the 110th Congress, the DC Voting Rights Act, H.R. 1905, had also been introduced in earlier forms as H.R. 1433 and H.R. 328. It was known as H.R. 5388 in the 109th Congress. In the Senate, the DC Voting Rights Act is known as S. 1257.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a co-sponsor of the DC Voting Rights Act, at the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution hearing on September 14, 2006.

Why Utah?

The state of Utah was chosen for the bill for two reasons:

• Utah was the next state in line to receive an additional representative following the 2000 U.S. Census. The state missed getting a fourth vote in the House by less than 1,000 people. The U.S. Census Bureau failed to count the approximately 14,000 Mormon missionaries who were temporarily living abroad at the time.
  
  
• Utah is a historically Republican state. The District of Columbia has historically voted Democratic. Thus, the bill is viewed as politically neutral, vote-neutral and bipartisan, not favoring one political party over another.

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