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The leadership role of committees and subcommittees is one of the key indicators that legislators have achieved.
According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, the 20 incumbents who are toss-ups or “lean” races are subcommittee chairs or ranking members.
This includes three representatives (two chairs and one senior member) who control billions of dollars of federal spending via spots on the Appropriations Board panel. Also, in addition to the top members of the Subcommittees on Agriculture, Methods and Means, and Transport and Infrastructure, others.
Some Democrats helped their party dominate the House in 2018 and were rewarded with the top spot after surviving a tough race in 2020 when margins narrowed.
Not only will this year’s close-fought results help determine the House majority in January, but it could also kick off a game of chairs for the next members of Congress to vie for leadership positions in the committees they hold. .
(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) delivered the opening address at her first public hearing as Chair of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry in May 2019.
Adam Berg, attorney for Squire Patton Boggs, said in a telephone interview, “Most people downtown are aware of the potential for change.” “Familiarity with all players is a necessary strategy for any company.”
Subcommittee chairs and key members are critical to policy outcomes. They bring their own priorities, legislative style and expertise to the subcommittee’s work and are able to influence more niche policy areas.
Selection process
It can be difficult to keep track of who is seeking work.
House Democrats generally allow candidates to run for subcommittee leadership positions based on seniority across subcommittees.
On the other hand, the rules of the House Republican Convention stipulate that the subcommittee gavel is given by the entire committee chair unless a majority of the Republicans on the committee vote to block the election. The Appropriations Committee is an exception, where the entire chairperson submits subcommittee recommendations to the Steering Committee for a vote.
(Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-California) is seen leaving the House GOP caucuses in September 2022 and is a top member of his party on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, facing tough re-election this fall. facing.
Rotating subcommittee chairs is common for certain subcommittees, such as the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Paul Shipley, AMVETS’ 3rd Deputy National Commander and the group’s chief legislator, was not surprised to find that his four of the five subcommittee chairs face stiff competition. said.
“We’re pretty used to that happening, actually,” Shipley said. Committee members tend to come from “very unstable seats or newbies trying to move out of the committee,” he said.
Shipley said he appreciates veterans whenever they are on the committee.
“Military culture is very unique,” he said. “If you’re not exposed to the culture, it’s very difficult to understand the way we communicate, the wants and needs we have, and the personality traits that ultimately come down to the whole picture.
on the trail
Most legislators who wield the gavel of the subcommittee or hold ranking member status don’t make it an important topic of their campaigns.
Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), whose constituency is rated a “toss-up,” held a high-profile campaign event focused on his subcommittee. He heads the House Appropriations and Budget Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, a position touted by President Joe Biden at an event in the Cartwright district.
Biden praised Cartwright’s leadership of a “strong subcommittee that manages funds for public safety” and emphasized Democratic support for police subsidies.
(Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden commended Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) for his leadership of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations at an event in Wilkesvare, Pennsylvania, Aug. 30. did.
Cartwright’s position helped fend off a Republican offensive focused on “stopping the police defense” rhetoric employed by other Democrats, said Ed, a Pennsylvania-based Democratic strategist. Mitchell said in a telephone interview.
Mitchell said Cartwright could show support for police subsidies, but few voters were specifically aware of his work on the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee.
Mitchell said of the Cartwright neighborhood that supported then-President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, “There are a lot of ‘Back the Blue’ signs around here.
A search of AdImpact revealed only one broadcast ad in the past year that mentioned the subcommittee. Rep. Henry Queller (D-Tex.), who ran a general election ad advertising his job as a “senior member” of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Although he is not chairman, Cuellar’s work on the commission has cited his efforts to increase funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and immigration and customs enforcement.
Subcommittee standings of legislators can help them in more subtle ways.
Rep. Mercy Kaptor (D-Ohio)’s position as Chair of the House Appropriations, Budget, Energy and Water Subcommittee establishes her as a no-nonsense congressman, even if voters aren’t familiar with the details David B. Cohen, a professor of political science at the University of Akron, said:
“The general perception among people in the Toledo area and northwestern Ohio is that Mercy Kaptor is not just someone collecting paychecks in Washington,” Cohen said in a telephone interview. He is recognized as someone who works hard on working-class issues.”
With help from Cordelia Gaffney
To contact the writer of this article: Emily Wilkins in Washington ewilkins@bgov.com; Jack Fitzpatrick in Washington jfitzpatrick@bgov.com
To contact the editor responsible for this article: Lauren Duggan and lduggan@bgov.com; Catherine Rizzo and krizzo@bgov.com
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