Senate GOP Leaders Eye Senate Commerce Membership Trim, Amid Assignments Derby

There's considerable speculation about the future of Senate Commerce, amid a campaign by some of the chamber's Republican leaders to reduce the overall size of that committee, lawmakers and lobbyists said. There also are questions about the roster for House Commerce, lawmakers and lobbyists said. The new House will include 235 Democrats and 200 Republicans. The new Senate will have 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats.

Outgoing Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told us there's interest within Senate GOP leadership to reduce the committee's size due to concerns membership grew too large. Senate Commerce has 27 members -- 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats. One member from each party lost re-election: ranking member Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. Thune is relinquishing the committee gavel at the end of this Congress but is interested in becoming Communications chairman (see 1811150040). Wicker is likely to become Commerce chairman.

Thune emphasized there's no decision on changing committee size or how any shift would affect the partisan ratio. It's unclear whether a reduction in Senate Commerce's size would target both parties equally or if Republicans would only seek to eliminate a Democratic seat, lobbyists said. The partisan ratio of Senate committees remains unclear because the GOP gained a net two seats.

Senate Squeeze

“It would be nice to size [Senate Commerce] to the committee hearing room,” which is typically 253 Russell, Thune said. “The problem we have right now is if we have full committee attendance, which is why we've had to juggle and move so much of our business” to larger hearing rooms in the Dirksen and Hart Senate buildings. “We had a number of seats added in the last Congress” following negotiations with Senate Democrats and “in the first few hearings, we needed a second level on the dais because we couldn't fit everybody,” Thune said.

“I'm open to advice” about the future size of Senate Commerce, but “the decision is not in my hands,” Wicker said. “I'm listening to arguments” for and against changing composition and “I'll work with whatever leadership decides.” But “there are arguments to be made for a smaller committee,” he said.

A change in Senate Commerce's size would be a “terrible idea,” said Senate Communications ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. “We have a lot of members” who are lower in seniority but have “made a constructive and productive” contribution. “More voices are better” in shaping Senate Commerce's work and “it would be a shame to lose any” member, Schatz said.

The picture for Senate Commerce is complicated by the potential for some incumbent members to seek reassignment off the committee and some incoming freshman senators' interest in joining, lobbyists said. Senate Commerce member Todd Young, R-Ind., told us he's “working with leadership” on his committee assignments for next Congress. Young is believed to be interested in relinquishing his Commerce seat in favor of joining the Finance Committee, telecom lobbyists said. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told us he intends to remain on Senate Commerce next Congress, contrary to some lobbyists' view that he might seek an exit from the committee.

Those said to be seeking a Senate Commerce seat include Steve Daines, R-Mont., telecom lobbyists said. Daines was on the committee during the last Congress and was reassigned (see 1701030047). “I would be honored” to return to Commerce but “we'll see what happens,” he told us. Some lobbyists questioned the likelihood of a Daines return because the state's other senator, Jon Tester (D), is now a member. It would be unusual, but not unheard of, for both a state's senators to be on the same committee, lobbyists said.

Three incoming Senate Republicans are viewed as potential candidates to join Senate Commerce: outgoing House Communications Chairman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney of Utah. Romney expressed interest in joining the committee, while Blackburn and Cramer would be natural fits because of their membership on House Commerce, lobbyists said. Senate Republican leaders may be setting their sights on assigning Blackburn to the Judiciary Committee, lobbyists said. Spokespersons for the incoming senators didn't comment.

House Shifts

The flip to a Democratic majority in the House means there will be a change to both parties' membership in that chamber's committees. Partisan ratio is under negotiation, lawmakers and lobbyists said.

“We don't know the ratios yet or the potential for change in jurisdiction” for House Commerce, said Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore. He's likely to become committee ranking member in the next Congress, while Frank Pallone, D-N.J., is likely to be the next chairman. “We're in good communication” with House Democrats and “it will take them a while to get organized and populate the committee,” Walden said.

House Commerce has 54 members -- 30 from the majority and 24 from the minority. If the ratio applies during the next Congress, Democrats will need to appoint at least seven new members to House Commerce because Rep. Gene Green of Texas retired. Republicans could conceivably retain all their current House Commerce members who will still be there next Congress. Seven GOP members will no longer be on the committee because they ran for higher office, lost re-election, retired or are expected to remain barred from all committees.

House Communications has 18 majority members and 13 minority, which would mean adding at least five new Democrats and one new Republican. No subcommittee Democrats are leaving the House. Five Republicans are exiting, including Blackburn. Two House Communications members lost re-election: Vice Chairman Leonard Lance, R-N.J., and Mimi Walters, R-Calif.

The partisan ratio of congressional committees is always “more important” to how the panels operate and legislate, said American University political science professor Andrew Ballard. “There is some sort of effect” if there's even a balanced increase or reduction in a committee's overall number “just because it's easier to bring things out of committee if fewer people have to agree on any decision.” Lobbyists noted the potential for more partisan telecom legislation if the committees' ratios shift, emphasizing both panels have a history of consensus on many of those issues.

Committees are arguably becoming “less important for legislating than they used to be,” as shown by the gradually declining proportion of bills that either chamber is advancing under regular order, Ballard said. A shift in the partisan ratio of a committee means “you could expect a greater shift in the types of policies that the committee approves toward the preferences of the majority party."