As senior members of Maryland’s delegation in the House of Representatives leave their spots on exclusive committees, some of the state’s junior members are jockeying to keep those sweet seats in state hands.
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, will leave the Appropriations Committee, which writes spending bills, to become the next Majority Leader when the 110th Congress convenes in January. After winning outgoing U.S. Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes’ seat, Rep. Ben Cardin, D-Baltimore, will leave the Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax legislation and bills affecting programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Looking to take their places are Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings of Baltimore, Dutch Ruppersberger of Cockeysville and Chris Van Hollen of Kensington. Ruppersberger wants a seat on Appropriations, while Van Hollen is interested in Ways and Means. Cummings, who has served four more terms than the two sophomores, has expressed interest in both committees.
It’s unclear which committee Cummings wants more, but he thinks he has a better chance at Ways and Means because there is less competition for seats there, said spokeswoman Devika Koppikar.
“He’s been expressing his interest for some time on that because of Mr. Cardin leaving and keeping that seat for a Marylander,” she said.
By controlling the purse strings, those committees have immense influence on every issue facing the House, and the Maryland three are fighting a slew of lawmakers from all over the country for those prestigious positions.
“These are all ambitious people,” said Zach Messitte, who teaches political science and directs the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College, of the Marylanders. “They’re all elbowing each other for who’s going to be the next Steny.”
Because members from Maryland are leaving the coveted committees, House leadership might look to Maryland to replace them, said Laslo Boyd of Gonzales/Boyd Political Consulting.
“The general history of congressional committees is that there is some desire to keep a regional balance and some representation from people who have had it before,” he said.
Being from Maryland could work for or against the trio, Messitte said.
“It’s sort of having the Hoyer connection and having the Pelosi connection,” he said, referring to Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is originally from Baltimore. “The other hand being, ‘Wow, Maryland’s sort of overrepresented at the top level. We’d better be careful.'”
If the current ratios of majority-party to minority-party members are kept, the Appropriations Committee would have room for eight Democrats, and Ways and Means could take nine. Committee assignments will probably be made next week, said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.
Pelosi has a strong hand in committee decisions, which are made based on diversity, merit and the needs of the representative’s district, Hammill said.
Diversity could favor Cummings, formerly head of the Congressional Black Caucus. But district needs — which include the practice of giving power to struggling members to help them solidify their position — could work against the Marylanders, Messitte said.
“These people are all in safe seats,” he said. “They don’t need a plum assignment to be re-elected in two years.”
Several more factors can come into play, including seniority and the