Commerce Post 'Plum' for Rogan

Commerce Post ‘Plum’ for Rogan

By MARC LACEY

Nov. 26, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON —

Every politician likes a landslide win, but Rep.-elect James E. Rogan (R-Glendale) actually may have benefited from his relatively narrow margin of victory this month.

House Republican leaders have chosen Rogan and some other GOP lawmakers who won tough election battles for prime committee assignments in an effort to raise their profiles--and fund-raising clout--for the future.

Rogan won a coveted slot on the Commerce Committee, which has wide jurisdiction over a variety of industries and issues and rarely accepts freshmen members.

The panel, the same one that retiring Rep. Carlos J. Moorhead (R-Glendale) had served on for decades, tends to generate hefty political contributions from businesses seeking to sway committee decisions.

“Money is the mother’s milk of politics and being on a committee like Commerce certainly helps,” explained one veteran GOP staffer. “Part of the Republican equation is making sure their majority stays a majority.”

On Commerce, Rogan will grapple with a wide range of legislation dealing with health, the environment, energy, trade and telecommunications. Roughly one-third of the House’s business typically churns through Commerce, which lawmakers consider one of the top panels on which to serve.

Rogan, who had lobbied for the Commerce seat, says the position will provide a platform from which to aid the entertainment industry, which has a strong presence in his district covering Pasadena, Burbank and Glendale.

“It’s a plum assignment,” said David Joergenson, a Moorhead aide who will be staying on with Rogan. “It’s especially good for a Californian because of the state’s entertainment and high-tech jobs.”

While most congressional representatives sit on two committees, those on Commerce and a handful of other high-profile panels usually receive just a single assignment. Because of his seniority, Moorhead had been issued an exemption from that restriction and served on both the Commerce and Judiciary committees.

Rogan’s political career has taken off since he was elected to the California Assembly in 1994. The former judge was chosen by his Assembly colleagues as majority leader after a short time in Sacramento. Then, after Moorhead opted to retire, it was off to Washington for the 39-year-old Rogan.

Although Rogan’s 27th Congressional District has long been considered Republican turf, Democrats have made solid inroads in recent years. President Clinton managed to narrowly win the district in 1992 but he beat Bob Dole soundly on Nov. 5. Democratic congressional candidate Doug Kahn never came close to knocking off Moorhead in 1992 and 1994, but this year, in his third try for Congress, he finished 6 1/2 percentage points behind the popular Rogan, losing 49.9% to 43.4%.

The practice of aiding members who are in competitive districts with prime committee assignments is nothing new. Democrats had practiced it for years and now that the Republicans are running the House, they are looking ahead to the political dynamics of 1998 while organizing the incoming class of ’96.

The House Republican Steering Committee, which makes the assignments for the GOP, tapped Rogan and fellow freshman John Shimkus (R-Ill.) for Commerce Committee slots while selecting second-term Reps. John David Hayworth (R-Ariz.) and Gerald Weller (R-Ill.) for the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the nation’s tax laws.

All four were in close races, and all four are likely to benefit from corporate contributions between now and their reelection bids.

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Committee Assignments

San Fernando Valley-area congressmen’s committee posts in the 105th Congress:

Rep.-elect Brad Sherman

(D-Sherman Oaks)

* Budget

* International Relations

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon

(R-Santa Clarita)

* Economic and Educational Opportunities (subcommittee chairman)

* National Security