Democratic Sen.-elect Jim Webb is hoping to recruit congressional veterans with a strong understanding of military affairs and Virginia issues to work in his Capitol Hill office, according to a member of his transition team.
Tom Lehner, former chief of staff to Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va., said Webb and the other members of the transition team are considering applications for Hill staff. He said the transition team is advising Webb, who will make the final decision in the coming weeks.
Lehner said that Webb, while already a strong voice on national security because of his military experience, is working to become a champion for economic change. He said many in Virginia are struggling, and Webb wants to narrow the gap between the wealthy and other Virginians.
“He wants to talk about issues like minimum wage, health care costs and housing costs,” Lehner said.
According to Lehner, “the kind of individuals he needs to consider are people who obviously have a shared interests in the issues Jim is working on, a good understanding of the Senate and its functions, a good understanding of Virginia and the issues facing different groups in Virginia.”
Webb, along with other freshman, went through orientation last week, and met with President Bush. Lehner said he has met with senior Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, as well as John McCain, R-Ariz., two he has strong ties with because of his time as secretary of the Navy and as a House staff director.
Lehner said he expects Webb to step out of the spotlight in the coming weeks, as he and his wife are expecting a child.
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said Webb, because of his Hill experience and extensive knowledge of foreign policy, has a chance to promote Virginia as a destination for international business.
“The more you study … Virginia, the more you realize the old Virginia is gone forever,” he said. “Virginia is an international state.”
