Changes Likely to House Commerce Telecom Policy Staff With Democratic Majority

The number of House Commerce Committee Republican telecom staffers is near certain to be reduced in the next Congress and the number of Democratic staffers in that policy area almost certainly will increase because of the flip in control of the chamber, lobbyists and officials said. "This shuffling started to take place before the election and announcements may come soon,” one GOP-focused telecom lobbyist said.

Traditionally the majority party on House Commerce is allocated two-thirds of the committee's annual funding, while the minority party gets one-third, lobbyists and former House aides said. The funding ratio for the next Congress is subject to negotiation between incoming House Democratic and Republican leaders, a House aide said.

The changing fortunes of Republicans and Democrats on House Commerce are no surprise to most officials and lobbyists, including former GOP FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell. “It’s natural for there to be staffing changes after an election, and it’s even more pronounced after one chamber change hands between parties,” said McDowell, now at Cooley. “Offices going from majority to minority lose staff positions and the new majority offices tend to staff up.”

House Commerce Republicans are likely to cut the number of telecom-specific aides to two or three from the current four, several GOP-focused lobbyists said. The Republicans “are going to take a huge hit budget-wise” with the shift to a Democratic majority, and the committee has a broad range of interests to cover, one telecom lobbyist said. House Commerce Chief GOP Telecom Counsel Robin Colwell and Deputy Chief GOP Telecom Counsel Tim Kurth are considered likeliest to be retained for the Republicans if they choose to stay on the committee, several lobbyists said.

Committee Republicans are hoping to avoid outright elimination of any current staff if possible and are instead eyeing not filling potential vacancies, lobbyists said. One GOP-focused lobbyist noted substantial “uncertainty” about how the staffing situation will shake out for Republicans. Some House Commerce GOP aides are known to be looking at roles elsewhere in the House or making a move to the Senate, including with Senator-elect and outgoing House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., two lobbyists said. The House Commerce GOP doesn't “have an update” on staffing decisions now, a spokesperson said.

Presumptive incoming House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., is “going to staff up” on telecom-focused aides, including likely adding “at least” one more policy counsel and a policy fellow, a Democratic-focused lobbyist said. The expanded telecom aide roster will be needed to handle an agenda already anticipated to include a focus on more critical FCC oversight, net neutrality and broadband infrastructure policy issues (see 1811070052 and 1811140055), several lobbyists said. Democratic leaders on another House committee are also considering adding a telecom-focused staffer, a Democratic-focused lobbyist said.

House Commerce Chief Democratic Telecom Counsel Alex Hoehn-Saric and Democratic Telecom Counsel Gerald Leverich are certain to be retained into the new Congress, lobbyists said. The Democrats hired Hoehn-Saric earlier this year “specifically in anticipation they would take the House” in the November election, a communications sector lobbyist said. Pallone's staff also “really likes” Leverich and will want to keep him on House Commerce, the lobbyist said. A House Commerce Democratic spokesperson didn't comment.

There's also the potential for changes to the GOP and Democratic telecom staff on the Senate Commerce Committee, though changes will likely be far less dramatic, lobbyists said. The ratio of the committee budget that Republicans and Democrats will receive in 2019 is likely to be substantially similar to what they received this year, so any changes are likely to be based much more on the preferences of likely Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and the next ranking member, lobbyists said.

The main question for Senate Commerce Republicans is whether Wicker will retain Crystal Tully as the committee's GOP telecom and tech policy director and what role his own telecom aide, Olivia Trusty, will play in the next Congress, two lobbyists said. Tully, who was promoted to telecom policy director last year, previously worked for Wicker (see 1709120028). A Senate Commerce GOP spokesperson didn't comment.

It's too early to say whether the next Senate Commerce ranking member will want to make changes to the committee's Democratic staff, including whether the new leader will want to retain committee Chief Democratic Telecom Counsel John Branscome, lobbyists said. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is considered likely to take over from current Senate Commerce ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who lost re-election. Cantwell hasn't publicly announced her intentions and her staff hasn't made in-depth plans if she does take over from Nelson because his loss was made clear just over a week ago, a Democratic-focused lobbyist said. A Senate Commerce Democratic aide and Cantwell's office didn't comment.

Hill aides are important to the policymaking process, but secondary to the lawmakers they serve, officials and lobbyists said. Staff “helps” formulate policy but on telecom issues “the masters of the process are the members themselves,” said ex-House Communications Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., now at Sidley Austin. House Commerce members “are hands on, they grapple with the substance and formulate their own agendas. If you want to anticipate what's going to happen, watch the members.”

Changes in a Hill committee's staff “can cut either way,” but it depends greatly on the individual aide, said Public Knowledge Vice President Chris Lewis. “Good staff serve the members' priorities.” But “when it comes down to it, the member is making the call on policy, not the staff,” Lewis said. “We've seen with the current staff” at House and Senate Commerce that they effectively serve their respective parties' priorities.