LOL

With the small margins that the Republicans enjoyed when they controlled the House, one would have thought that the moderates had some leverage, but Republicans have been ignoring the seniority of moderates for years without consequence.

When Don Young accepted the Chairmanship of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Jim Saxton ((NJ) should have been in line for his old chairmanship of the Resources Committee.  He was passed over as not being conservative enough.  His lifetime rating from the ADA was around 16 out of 100.  Not a peep from the moderates.

Billy Tauzin (LA) received the chairmanship of Energy & Commerce as a bribe for changing parties.  To accommodate Mike Oxley (OH), who had been in line, they appointed him Chairman of the Banking Committee, which was rechristened Financial Services.  That meant dislodging moderate Marge Roukema (NJ).  Not only was she denied the chairmanship when she had more seniority, they did not even let her keep her old subcommittee.  This despite the fact that Marge Roukema never voted against any Republican tax cut in her entire life.

The closeness of their majorities during the 12 years that the Republicans controlled the House, means that anything that occurred during that period was with the sufferance or connivance of moderates.  One reason that moderates such as Jim Leach (IA), Charlie Bass (NH), Nancy Johnson (CT) and Rob Simmons lost in 2006 was that their constituents got tired of their having no impact on the policies of the Republican Party.

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by: Vadranor @ Fri Sep 14, 2007 at 21:07:06 PM UTC

Quick question

Aren't chairs done by seniority? 

If so, which I think is true, then Shays must have switched what committee's he's been in if he isn't over Davis.  Seeing as he has been in the House longer.  I'm guessing Davis will run for VA and this will be a non-issue in a month or so. 

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by: JeremiahTheMessiah @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 00:01:01 AM UTC

Party leadership...

It's actually the Party leadership that has final say on who committee chair are. Most of the time they'll stick with senority, but they don't have to go by seniority at all.

Remember, after the 2004 elections, Arlen Specter nearly lost his chairmanship because he said that pro-life judges weren't guaranteed confirmation from his committee.

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

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by: DGM @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 00:35:12 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Alright

Oh okay.  I didn't pay close enough attention back then. 

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by: JeremiahTheMessiah @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 00:42:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Seniority

While Chairmanships are usually awarded by seniority, the Republican leadership has often ignored this principle.  Shays had more seniority than Davis, but he was jumped over.  In 1995, Carlos Moorhead (CA) had the most seniority on both the Commerce and Judiciary Committees, but did not get to chair either of them.  Tom Bliley (VA) got the former; Henry Hyde (IL) the latter.  When Dick Pombo (CA) got the Resources Chairmanship, he had actually ranked eleventh in seniority.

On the other hand, Democrats have followed tradition.  With the exception of Select Intelligence (which has its own sepcial rules), seniority was honored in the awarding of chairmanships when the Democrats regained the majority.

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by: Vadranor @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 02:34:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well...

Congressional Republicans also have term limits for their committee chairs, it's a way for the Republican leadership to keep stronger control.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I believe the Republican leadership started this practice after they took control of congress in 1994.

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

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by: DGM @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 03:34:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes

I'm pretty sure that did start after 1994.  Of course, that was also the first time since 1930 that the Republicans had been in the majority for more than one term at a time, so there wouldn't have been much point in their having term limits on chairmanships before that. ;)

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by: RamblinDave @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 07:23:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It goes back much further

Republicans gained control of the Senate in 1980 in the Reagan landslide.  Strom Thurmond wanted to chair the Armed Services Committee, which would have meant that liberal Charles Matthias (MD) was in line to become Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.  Conservatives convinced Thurmond to take the Judiciary post instead.  Largely as a result of this slight, Matthias retired at the end of his term, and Republicans have never won a Senate  seat in Maryland since that time.

Sometimes moderate Republicans do get to become chairmen, but usually after they have neutered themselves.  There is no need to comment upon Arlen Spector's despicable record as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the 109th Congress.  Check out the voting record of moderate Sherry Boehlert (NY) before and after he became Chairman of the House Science Committee.  His ADA score dropped after getting the chairmanship, even though his district was trending blue.

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by: Vadranor @ Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 17:55:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]