The legislation - which will face a critical vote Tuesday in the Senate - is primarily geared to give the District of Columbia its first full-voting House member and is paired with a seat for Utah, which lost out on a fourth member of Congress after the 2000 Census. Utah's member would likely be a Republican while the district's probably would be a Democrat, creating a political balance with the addition of two members.
But Bennett, R-Utah, says he is concerned that passage of the measure could lead to the District of Columbia arguing it deserves U.S. Senate representation for its nearly 600,000 residents.
His amendment, which will be offered later on if the bill passes a procedural vote Tuesday, would nullify the legislation if the U.S. Supreme Court rules the District of Columbia must get Senate seats as well.
"If this bill becomes a covert way to give D.C. two senators, I want no part of it," Bennett said on a statement Friday.
The senator also said Friday he will attempt to change the bill's provision that requires it to be wholly thrown out if the Supreme Court decides the District of Columbia does not qualify for a House seat. Under the current legislation, Utah would lose its fourth seat if the district loses its proposed member of Congress. Bennett wants the Utah seat to stand no matter the court's ruling on the District of Columbia part of the bill.
"Utah deserves its full representation, regardless of whether the Supreme Court rules that the D.C. clause is unconstitutional," Bennett said.
Bennett plans to vote to proceed to final passage of the D.C.-Utah measure on Tuesday and then offer his amendments when the legislation comes up later for floor debate. If his changes are not adopted, however, Bennett says he will pull his support and join the White House in opposing the measure.
If the amendments fail to be included in the bill, "my constitutional concerns will compel me to vote with the president and sustain his expected veto," Bennett said.
