New Kids on the Hill: Profiles of 3 Freshmen Likely to Succeed : Rep. Enid Greene Waldholtz (R-Utah)

Great Britain’s Economist magazine calls her “a Mormon Margaret Thatcher,” and Gingrich appears to see a bit of the “Iron Lady” in her as well. Rep. Enid Greene Waldholtz, 36, has won one of the House’s most coveted assignments: a seat on the Rules Committee, the gateway through which all House legislation must pass on its way to the floor.

Waldholtz is the first Republican freshman to gain such a powerful berth in 80 years, and she is seen as one of Gingrich’s prize pupils. As one of only six Republican women in the freshman class, she is expected to be pushed into other highly visible assignments in a party eager to show itself as being open to the concerns of women.

Waldholtz exemplifies an increasing trend among GOP newcomers: A corporate counsel to software giant Novell Inc. and a commercial litigator in Salt Lake City for seven years, Waldholtz identifies herself as a businesswoman, not a politician. In 1991, she was identified as a hot prospect by Gingrich’s conservative political organization, and in 1992 she ran against Karen Shepherd for a seat representing one of Utah’s most Democratic districts. She lost, but two years later challenged Shepherd, winning 46% to 36%.

Despite her career in the private sector, Waldholtz has maintained strong ties to government and politics. She served as deputy chief of staff to Utah Gov. Norman Bangerter, and her husband, Joseph, has been executive director of the state Republican Party. In 1990, she was elected to head the 150,000-member Young Republican National Federation. Two years later, she addressed the Republican National Convention in Houston.

In her earlier run for Congress, Waldholtz was characterized as a single-minded policy wonk. And, in family-conscious Utah, she was single to boot. Reflecting on her unsuccessful bid, Waldholtz called herself “the Max Headroom of issues” and acknowledged that her “bad hair” and unmarried status hurt her. Now married, she bills herself as a kinder, gentler version of the candidate she seemed to be the first time around.

As a member of Gingrich’s “farm team” and a trusted lieutenant, Waldholtz will be a key player in seeing that the GOP’s 10-point “contract with America” is accomplished in the promised 100 days. She will be one of nine Republican Rules Committee members who will decide which amendments and motions will be allowed when bills ranging from the line-item veto to welfare reform are considered.

An ardent foe of abortion, Waldholtz also backs the death penalty, a balanced-budget amendment and term limits. She vows to serve no more than 12 years in Congress.

Yet for all her ties to Washington’s new powerbrokers, Waldholtz has signaled she will not move in lock-step with the Republican Party. “I can’t imagine voting with my party over 90% of the time,” Waldholtz said recently. “I’m not anybody’s rubber stamp.”

Indeed, Waldholtz could raise concerns among colleagues with her own comprehensive plan for reforming Congress. The plan calls for the abolition of lawmakers’ franking privileges, an end to their pensions and a rollback of salaries to $89,500, about a third less than their current pay.