Power shift alters goals
Legislators set sights on new positions
Earlier this year, veteran congressmen from Oklahoma began jockeying for position in hopes of chairing key congressional committees, assuming Republicans kept control of the U.S. House.
Last week, however, Democrats snatched a majority in the lower chamber of Congress, leaving those same congressmen to instead compete for the far less prestigious title of ranking member, which they began doing the day after Tuesday’s election.
Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican from Moore, had hoped to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee next year. Instead, he has begun campaigning among his fellow Republicans to be ranking member, the highest position a Republican can hold on what will be a committee controlled by Democrats beginning in January.
Last week, Cole’s office began sending videos to fellow Republicans, touting his appropriations work as he vies for the ranking member post. Four other Republicans are competing for the position.
“I always tell people, this is like running, not even for student council president, it’s more like running for president of your homeroom class,” Cole said in an interview.
“You just have to go make your case and hope for the best but this is certainly not a place where you burn bridges or attack anybody in any way, shape or form, because you’re going to be working with them.”
Cole currently chairs an Appropriation subcommittee that oversees spending on health, education and labor, a chairmanship he will lose in the new Congress. He also expects to move off the Budget Committee due to term limits and perhaps the Rules Committee as well.
“That’s fine. My main focus is appropriations," he said.
Republican committee positions are decided by the House Republican Steering Committee, which will be chaired by the House minority leader and made up of Republican House members.
U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, a Republican from Cheyenne, had hoped to compete for chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee or House Science Committee next year. Instead, he will vie for ranking member of the Science Committee, he announced Thursday.
“I will continue to be on the Agriculture Committee," Lucas said. "I will continue to be on Financial Services. I’ll continue to be on the Science Committee."
U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Westville, currently sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and expects he will continue to do so in the next Congress, his spokeswoman said Thursday.
Two new members of Congress from Oklahoma will join in January and receive their first committee assignments. Democratic Rep.-elect Kendra Horn said Friday that she is still considering potential committee assignments and determining which will best help her Oklahoma Citybased district.
“I worked in the space industry for a number of years," Horn said. "So, the idea of Science, Space and Technology (Committee) is pretty exciting. I think there are a number of others."
Attempts to reach U.S. Rep.-elect Kevin Hern, a Republican from Tulsa, were not successful last week.
The Senate remains in the control of Republicans, meaning U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, is expected to remain chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, likely will keep a seat on the high-profile Senate Intelligence Committee, among others.