CA Republicans To Wield Power In New Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Move over Nancy Pelosi, Henry Waxman and George Miller. Make way for Kevin McCarthy, Darrell Issa and Buck McKeon.

The three Republicans are among the California lawmakers expected to ascend to leadership positions when the GOP takes control of the House in January.

They lead a state GOP contingent with a high degree of seniority and driven by a strong desire to undo some of the top policy priorities of their Democratic predecessors, such as the health care overhaul pushed through last spring.

In all, there are 19 Republican lawmakers from California. Two races have yet to be officially declared, but it appears that number won't change. Almost all the 19 have represented their districts for several terms and have gradually gained enough seniority to at least oversee a House subcommittee for the next two years, while McKeon and Issa are certain to oversee influential committees.

Rep. Jerry Lewis of Redlands also is a contender to get his old job back as chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

The Republicans are elected from conservative pockets in one of the nation's most liberal states.

California also is the home of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was re-elected to lead House Democrats when they become the minority party after suffering huge losses in the November elections. Californians also elected Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer to her fourth term in the U.S. Senate in convincing fashion.

Many in the California GOP delegation were around in 1994 when Republicans took control of Congress midway through former President Bill Clinton's first term. Lewis won office to his 16th term. David Drier, who will oversee the House Rules Committee, won office to a 15th term.

Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California, expects the group to confront Obama whenever it can but also to learn from the mid 1990s. In a span of two years, voters went from voting in a GOP Congress to voting in a second term for Clinton.

"They benefit from the mistakes of the past," he said. "I'm sure Darrell Issa is very much aware of how Dan Burton botched the same job."

Burton, of Indiana, ran the oversight committee that Issa will soon oversee, but his animosity toward Clinton was so public and strident that it framed the committee's investigations as partisan undertakings rather than serious efforts to improve the work of the federal government. Whether Issa has truly learned that lesson remains to be seen as he recently called Obama "one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times."

The highest-ranking member of the delegation will be among its least experienced.

McCarthy, 45, of Bakersfield, has rocketed through the Republican ranks in just two terms. He will serve as the GOP whip, a job that involves ensuring Republicans have enough support to pass legislation brought to the House floor and one that will place him just below the House's speaker and majority leader within the GOP hierarchy.

McCarthy, who used to own his own deli, has made his mark recruiting GOP candidates to run for office and by helping craft the GOP's "Pledge to America" -- a 21-page document that describes GOP priorities for the coming two years. Those priorities involve no tax increases and undefined spending cuts, as well as a more specific promise: immediate action to repeal the Democratic-led health care overhaul.

"Our focus is going to be on jobs, spending and changing the culture in Washington," McCarthy said.

He said the goal to reduce spending would be to return it to fiscal year 2008 levels. How the GOP gets there remains unclear.

McCarthy is confident that the direction he wants to take Congress will not pose a backlash back home. He said the lack of gains by the GOP in California reflects how congressional districts are drawn up by the state Legislature. Public hearings made clear to him that voters are unhappy with the work of Congress.

"Here you just had the largest swing, bigger than 1994, and no seats changed in California," McCarthy said. "That shows how these seats are drawn, where they cut a deal with one another to make them so safe. It's so wrong."

In the future, state legislative and congressional seats in California will be drawn by an independent citizens redistricting commission that was approved by voters in 2008.

Few GOP lawmakers have been in the limelight in recent weeks more than Issa, who is expected to oversee the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The panel can investigate just about any facet of government. Democrats are worried that Issa will use his power to conduct investigations designed to harm the Obama administration politically rather than improve the effectiveness of government agencies and policies.

Issa, from Vista in northern San Diego County, amassed a fortune when he sold his interest in a car-alarm company he started, California-based Directed Electronics. He used some of that money to help fund the 2003 recall campaign against Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, which resulted in Arnold Schwarzenegger winning office.

"He's going to be very aggressive in exercising the oversight function, to put it mildly," Pitney said. "One thing is sure. Washington lawyers are going to be busy for the next couple of years representing officials called before his committee."

Issa has broached several issues he would like to examine. He opposed the $814 billion economic stimulus bill and likely will hold hearings on aspects of the legislation he believes failed to result in jobs.

He also has talked about looking more closely at agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Postal Service, the latter being an example of a bloated bureaucracy, with thousands of jobs that should be eliminated.

A spokesman for the congressman said he would not answer questions about his prospective work as chairman until he is officially selected to oversee the panel.

McKeon, of Santa Clarita, is expected to oversee the House Armed Services Committee. He already has staked out key differences with the Obama administration on the war effort, calling it a mistake for Obama to pledge to begin withdrawing forces from Afghanistan in July 2011.

"It's essential our commander in chief give our military the time and resources it needs to succeed," McKeon said this week during a speech that laid out his priorities as the presumed chairman.

McKeon said he would fiercely defend the $700 billion defense budget, calling annual increases in overall spending of 1 percent plus inflation tantamount to a cut. He said savings can be found in the defense budget, but that money has to go back into building up other facets of the military.

"A defense budget in decline portends an America in decline," McKeon said.

McKeon has been highly critical of the push to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," but his protests have been more focused on timing than the policy itself. He wants the Pentagon to complete its survey of the troops and their families, and for congressional hearings to be held on those surveys before any action is taken.

"When you rush things through for expediency or political reasons, generally you make mistakes," McKeon said.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)