Chairman Pence:

Rep. Mike Pence (R.-Ind.), who emerged as a national conservative hero when he led the fight in the House of Representatives against President Bush's huge Medicare prescription drug entitlement, was elected last week to serve as chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) in the next Congress. The RSC serves as an "internal think tank, action team, and legislative conduit" for almost 100 conservative House members. Under Pence's leadership, it promises to be a potent force pushing the Republican majority in a more conservative direction.