REPUBLICAN MODERATES, only two dozen or so strong, believe they now hold a pivotal position in the House of Representatives and can influence legislation and internal Republican affairs as never before. Oddly enough, House Democrats have put them in this key position.
With Democrats in lockstep opposition to all Republican proposals, the votes of moderates are now critical to the passage of any Republican-backed legislation. “This the moderates’ moment,” said Rep. Sherry Boehlert of New York. He said the “power” of moderates is still “emerging.”
Boehlert and Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut, leaders of the moderate Mainstream Partnership, met with reporters Thursday at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. They insisted, among other things, that moderate Republicans favor the election of a new House majority leader to replace Tom DeLay, who was forced to step down temporarily because he’s under indictment in Texas for alleged money laundering. Shays said an election of a new leader would likely come in early February.
Moderates make up a small percentage of the 231 House Republicans and their clout has been minimal in recent years. But with Democrats under pressure not to cooperate with Republicans, they now have a “seat at the table” in Republican deliberations, Boehlert said. By bullying Democrats who want to work with Republicans, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is actually “empowering” Republican moderates.
This was demonstrated last month on a bill that included $50 billion in spending cuts. Moderates forced House Republican leaders to drop from the bill a measure to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling. Boehlert said the moderate view was simple: “If ANWR is in, we’re out.” And moderates also got “specific language” dealing with their other concerns in the bill, he said.
Moderates also showed this fall what can happen when their concerns are not accommodated. With Democrats and moderate Republicans joining together, the House passed a bill calling for broader federal support of stem-cell research. It was opposed by Republican leaders and the White House.
While they don’t have an agenda, Boehlert said, there are a number of issues on which moderates try to play an increased role. These include the following:
Taxes. Moderates mostly oppose the elimination of the federal estate tax. Shays, a strong supporter of President Bush’s tax cuts, said killing the estate tax would not produce any significant economic incentives.
Energy. Moderates want to force Republican leaders to bring up CAFE standards for a vote. These involve the minimum gas mileage for automobiles. Moderates want to hike the minimum level.
Ideas. Boehlert said the House leaders and the White House are now receptive to their ideas on expanded spending on scientific research and on workplace issues. A group of moderates conferred recently with Josh Bolten, the White House budget chief.
Civil liberties. Shays said moderates are wary of increasing the government’s power to investigate terrorism if that entails new curbs on civil liberties.
Political reform. Shays said the issue of corruption and ethics violations amount to a “huge” political problem for Republicans. He said a package of reforms devised by liberal Democrats is one he wished moderate Republicans had proposed.
With Republican moderates, there’s always a question about their moxie and their follow-through. Will they really exploit their critical position as swing votes in the House? In the past, they’ve talked big, then failed to stay united and pressing their concerns aggressively. This time, the opportunity for them to exert influence is greater than ever. We’ll soon see if they’re able to seize it.
Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard.
