*REVISITING JUDGES: The White House and Senate Republicans agreed before adjournment that the President should wait until the new Congress to renominate Charles Pickering and Priscilla Owens to the U.S. Court of Appeals. There was talk of trying to bring up the two nominees-who lost on party-line votes in the Judiciary Committee earlier this year-during the brief lame-duck session, but it was decided it would be simpler just to have the President renominate them as soon as the new Senate convenes in January.
*ON GUARD: Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft lived through the controversy over questionable Democratic-controlled vote-counting in his Senate race in Missouri two years ago and it appears he also remembers that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D.-La.) was initially elected in 1996 amid widespread charges of vote fraud in New Orleans-and only after serious challenges to her seating. At a November 12 morning meeting at the Justice Department with his assistant attorneys general, sources tell Human Events, Ashcroft asked civil rights division head Ralph Boyd to make sure he had "lawyers on the ground in New Orleans December 7," when Landrieu faces a run-off with Republican Suzanne Terrell (see coverbox).
*REFORM CAUCUS HEARTENED: Rep. Tom Tancredo (R.-Colo.), chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, is pleased about the creation of the new Homeland Security Department, which consolidates all immigration and border control agencies under a single department. "The overwhelming bipartisan support for the bill demonstrates a new understanding in Washington that immigration is a critical national security issue," said Tancredo. He added that he hoped "Secretary of State Colin Powell and Ambassador-designate Tony Garza will keep this new understanding in mind as they discuss migration issues with their counterparts in Mexico City." Garza, the new ambassador to Mexico, is said to believe that many illegal immigrants from Mexico should be given legal status-i.e., an amnesty. A Zogby poll conducted in June 2002 showed that Americans oppose amnesty by a two-to-one margin, because, said the caucus, "Most Americans recognize that amnesties only encourage more illegal immigration."
*BATTLE FOR RESOURCES: With the retirement of Rep. James Hansen (R.-Utah), competition to succeed him as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee is intense. Moderate GOP Rep. Jim Saxton (N.J.), while highest in seniority, is distrusted by conservatives because of his friendly relations with environmentalists. Solid conservative Rep. Barbara Cubin (Wyo.), who argues that a Westerner should head up Natural Resources, is an active candidate, as is fellow conservative Rep. Jimmy Duncan (Tenn.). The 25-member Steering Committee of the House Republicans will tap new committee chairmen when it meets in January.
*COX VS. DAVIS: Term limits, not retirement, are forcing Republican Dan Burton (Ind.) to give up the chairmanship of the House Government Reform Committee, presenting the Steering Committee with another January decision. The next ranking Republican, Chris Shays (Conn.), wants the chairmanship, but is considered too liberal and rankled the leadership by signing the campaign finance discharge petition. Stalwart conservative Rep. Christopher Cox (R.-Calif.), once vice chairman of Government Reform before going on leave because of other duties, would like to return as chairman. Cox (American Conservative Union rating: 98%) has won high marks from colleagues for his work as chairman of the House GOP Policy Committee and would be expected to creatively use Government Reform to, among other things, streamline and reduce the federal bureaucracy.
But a few members of the GOP leadership think that moderate Rep. Tom Davis (R.-Va.), who ranks below Cox in seniority on Government Reform, deserves the chairmanship as a reward for his excellent performance as head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, a job he must give up because of term limits. Davis (ACU rating: 66%) is not considered an issues man, however, and there is great concern among conservatives that he would be too beholden to the federal government employees who dominate his Northern Virginia constituency to effectively use Government Reform to rein in the bureaucracy.
*AFTER COMBEST: A third heated contest involves the chairmanship of the Agriculture Committee, which Rep. Larry Combest (R.-Tex.) is relinquishing in advance of his resignation from Congress May 31. (See "Politics 2002," page 14.) Conservatives would like to see Michigan Rep. Nick Smith, an outspoken critic of farm subsidies who voted against the massive $73.7-billion, 10-year farm bill earlier this year, take the helm at Agriculture. But Capitol Hill sources say that the powerful farm lobby is dead set against Smith, making him at best a long shot. The top contenders for the gavel are Richard Pombo (Calif.) and Bob Goodlatte (Va.)-both conservatives but both consistent backers of government farm subsidies.
