Now that Barack Obama has won the White House, and Democrats have substantially increased their majority in the House and Senate, a new group of congressional power players has emerged.
The up-and-coming Democratic stars include House Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, and Obama confidantes like Sen. Richard Durbin, of Illinois.
And all eyes will be on Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who Obama has asked to be the spearhead of his health care plan in Congress. Others have suggested that Clinton may end up rallying her fellow Democrats to keep Obama true to his liberal base. Either way, Clinton will cast a long shadow.
Republicans are down, but not out, and there will be opportunities for rank-and-file members like Rep. Eric Cantor, of Virginia, to ascend to the leadership as the party tries to rebuild. Cantor announced Wednesday that he would mount a challenge to GOP whip Roy Blunt of Missouri. Blunt did not immediately indicate whether he would try to keep his post.
Among Republicans in the Senate, John Thune of South Dakota is expected to play a larger role, especially if he wins his bid to be vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.
As for defeated Republican nominee John McCain, many on the Hill expect him to return to his traditional role as a builder of bipartisan coalitions.
The Democratic leadership of the House and Senate will remain the most powerful people in Congress and no challenges are expected to those incumbents.
With a majority of at least 252 members, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will rule the chamber come January with a very wide margin (just 218 votes are needed to pass a bill), which will make it much easier for her to move key Democratic legislation to the desk of President Obama.
In the Senate, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, will have at least a five-seat advantage over Republicans. Though it will fall as many as five seats short of the 60 votes needed to block a Republican filibuster, the new Democratic tally gives the party more power to move legislation in that chamber.
Despite their gains, Pelosi and Reid’s power could end up overshadowed by Obama, who will assume the lead role in the party, said University of Wisconsin political science professor John Coleman.
“You will see a fairly deferential approach from Pelosi and Reid,” Coleman said. “For the first two years I think they are going to be essentially asking Obama what they can do to make his agenda work.”
That means those lawmakers close to Obama, like Durbin, and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., both of Illinois, will see their clout rise.
“Clearly the people who have the pre-existing close relationships with Obama gain in stature,” said American Enterprise Institute political scholar Norm Ornstein.
Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, of South Carolina, and California Rep. Barbara Lee, who is likely to become the next chairman of the House Congressional Black Caucus, could play key liaison roles between an Obama administration and the House. Lee could be particularly crucial as a top member of the more liberal House Progressive Caucus.
Democrats will likely have to fill a leadership vacancy left by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, of Illinois, who Obama has asked to serve as his White House chief of staff.
Emanuel now serves as House Democratic Caucus chairman, a seat that current Vice Chairman John Larson, of Connecticut, may seek.
But Van Hollen may also have ambitions to take the job, and Pelosi would have a hard time saying no after declaring his efforts winning 20 new Democratic seats as head of the DCCC “masterful.”
“Those are huge numbers,” acknowledged a top aide to Pelosi. “That shows his talent.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, of Florida, also played a big role in the Democratic gains as head of the party’s “Red to Blue” operation that worked to defeat Republican candidates.
House Republican leader John Boehner, of Ohio, announced on Wednesday he plans to run for a third term at the helm. So far, no challengers have emerged. If he survives in his position in the 111th Congress, he will pay one of the most important roles in rebuilding the Republican brand.
