California May Gain Key Chairmanship

The election of Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) as House majority leader could open the way for a sixth Californian to win a plum committee chairmanship and further increase the clout of Democratic-leaning California in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) is regarded as the favorite to succeed Boehner as chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Under House rules, Boehner must leave his committee post because a member of the leadership is barred from holding a committee chairmanship.

On Friday, McKeon announced his candidacy for the gavel.

“America has entered a new age of unprecedented challenges both for our schools and our workforce,” he said. “I believe that with my 13 years of Capitol Hill experience, I am in the best position to lead the committee in addressing those challenges.”

If he is selected, California Republicans would lead six House committees -- more than any other state’s representatives do.

A House GOP leadership panel could make a recommendation on the new chairman as early as next week. The recommendation must be approved by the Republican rank and file.

If McKeon is selected, he could become a major player in advancing President Bush’s “competitiveness initiative” to boost funding for research and education in mathematics and science. The panel also oversees labor issues, such as job training and worker safety.

McKeon, a self-described conservative, is second in seniority on the panel behind Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), but is closer to Boehner than is Petri, who is said to be more interested in becoming chairman of the Transportation Committee. McKeon was a member of the team that helped Boehner line up votes in his surprise victory Thursday to succeed Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) in the House’s No. 2 leadership post.

McKeon’s bid for the post also is likely to be aided by the more than $500,000 his leadership political action committee has contributed to GOP House candidates since Jan. 1, 2003, according to the watchdog group Center for Responsive Politics.

But at a time when Republicans are trying to display a commitment to ethics reform in response to recent scandals, McKeon could face questions about an invitation sent to at least one education lobbyist by McKeon’s PAC for a $5,000-per-person “Key Largo Get-Away” fundraiser in March featuring “golf, fishing, spa activities, snorkeling and much, much more” at a resort in the Florida Keys.

“I guess you always have to be concerned about appearance,” McKeon said in an interview Friday. “But I would rather focus more on realities. I’ve tried to be a member of the team, to help raise money to keep the [Republican] majority.... As a subcommittee chairman and somebody that aspired to be the full committee chairman, I think that partly your responsibility is helping to raise the necessary resources to help the other members in their elections. As long as you’re going to do it, why not have some fun?”

McKeon picked up support Friday from two important colleagues: fellow Californians David Dreier (R-San Dimas), chairman of the Rules Committee, and Bill Thomas (R-Bakersfield), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

“I’m going to do everything I possibly can to ensure he gets it,” Dreier said.

Dreier said that McKeon’s selection would be a plus for California. Besides Dreier and Thomas’ panels, California Republicans chair the Appropriations, Armed Services and Resources committees.

California recently had six committee chairmen, but former Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) left his House seat and his post leading the Committee on Homeland Security last year when Bush nominated him to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The 67-year-old McKeon served as the first mayor of Santa Clarita and was first elected to the House in 1992.

McKeon said Friday that reducing regulation would be among his priorities. “We have over 800 pages of regulations dealing with higher education,” he said.

Scott Sudduth, University of California’s assistant vice president of federal governmental relations, said that McKeon had been a “passionate advocate for students, education and California.”

“He has taken a deep interest in how well we are preparing students for the global economy, and we think he would be an excellent choice to lead the committee and help implement the president’s goals for innovation and competitiveness,” Sudduth said.