Photo by photographynatalia.

Is there a single Republican in the House of Representatives interested in being able to force his or her personal stances on thousands of people who live in the District of Columbia? Are we so unwanted that even the people who would salivate at overturning the laws we’ve passed are saying “no thanks” and choosing to accept more lucrative assignments? It’s starting to feel that way.

The matter of who will helm the — deep breath — Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the body which is repsonsible for doling out the Congress’ legal control over the city’s budgets, laws and so forth, is still very much up in the air. First, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) — the boogeyman that we had been preparing for over the last couple of years — decided that he would take a plum spot on the National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations panel. Then this morning, it appeared as if Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA), the next highest ranking member in line for the job, was ready to step in for Chaffetz. (And with statements likening the District to a “no man’s land,” Bilbray seemed an appropriate enough replacement.) But The Hill reports that Bilbray is passing on the chairmanship, taking a position on the Energy Committee.