Barton, Upton Shore Up Commerce Committee Support in Fight for Chair
House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton, R-Texas, got support Wednesday from Reps. Cliff Stearns of Florida, John Shimkus of Illinois and six others committee Republicans. His main opponent for the job, Rep. Fred Upton, D-Mich., meanwhile, claimed support of another committee member, Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C. With Republicans considering GOP caucus rule changes this week, Barton faces opposition from the GOP Transition Committee in attempts to change the interpretation of a committee leadership term-limit rule that could prevent him from becoming chairman next year.
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The Transition Committee will consider amendments to caucus rules Thursday morning, said Brendan Buck, spokesman for the transition team. “Any member can offer an amendment to the rules,” Buck said. But the term-limit rule change is “not one the transition team is recommending.” The committee said last week (CD Nov 15 p1) that Barton’s term-limit question is one for Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and the GOP Steering Committee.
Even though Stearns and Shimkus say they want to lead the committee next year, they supported Barton in his bid to get a waiver from GOP term limit rules. Both have said before that they only want the job if Barton can’t get a waiver. “He served one term as our chairman, and we believe it is essential to the new mission of all Republicans in the House that he have the opportunity to serve a second term,” they said in a Wednesday letter to GOP colleagues. The letter was also signed by Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania, Lee Terry of Nebraska, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and Ralph Hall and Michael Burgess of Texas.
The letter arrived in members’ mailboxes less than a day after Upton formally announced his bid for committee chairman (CD Nov 17 p1). As the Republicans listed what they see as Barton’s merits, they celebrated the ranking member for refusing to make a net neutrality deal with current Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif. “Last month, Joe rejected and killed the deal brokered by Henry Waxman to allow the Obama Administration FCC to regulate the Internet for the first time,” the eight Republicans said.
Barton’s and Upton’s conservative feathers were on display in articles this week in The Hill. “Upton is committed to conservative principles,” was the headline of a Wednesday op-ed by Rep. Myrick, supporting Upton for chairman. An op-ed Monday by Barton, circulated to reporters Wednesday as an “In Case You Missed It,” item featured the headline, “112th Congress needs strong conservative leadership to right ship.”