The San Diego Union Tribune
Old-fashioned seniority strengthens California’s standing in Washington
by Tim Ransdell, Op-Ed Page, San Diego Union-Tribune,
January 29, 2003 Earlier this month, California sent its battalion to the Washington front.
For the next two years, 53 of the states finest will vie for our fair share
of federal money and policy attention. To account for this, our Congressional
troops – Democrat and Republican – should give a salute of thanks to last years
Legislature and Governor for arming them with Congress most powerful weapon:
seniority. More than a year ago, State leaders drew district lines to ensure that all 53
California Congressional seats will be largely uncontested in any general
election for a decade. Yes, it was an incumbent protection plan. Anti-democracy.
Hostile to competition. Whatever the downsides of the redistricting, there is
one very clear upside for California: The strong get stronger. In Congress, power is measured in years of service. Old trumps new.
Intellect, savoir-faire, and a network of benefactors serve a newcomer well, but
there remains no substitute for old fashioned seniority. New members have already had their first lesson. The longest-standing
legislator has first dibs on office space, then the next, and so on. Eventually,
the dregs go to the freshmen, with the least lucky among them (including the
Central Valleys Dennis Cardoza this year) relegated to the Houses
nosebleed section: reclaimed storage cages on the top floor of the Cannon
Building that are only accessible via former freight elevators and dingy
stairways. Senioritys policy power comes in committees, where the seasoned are in the
inner circle, and where the chairs gavel normally awaits the panels most
venerable member. Freshman members of Congress decry the system as staid and as hostile to
fresh ideas, but it is time-tested. As goes the old saw, at first, the seniority
system seems unfair, but after a while it grows on you. California has a leg up in the seniority system for the next decade. In 2001,
with control of the Governors Mansion and a majority of the State
Legislature, California Democratic mappers could have carved more House seats
for the party. But with California now not a one-party Democratic state but what
Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California calls "The
Un-Party State" – ruled by individual preferences of independently minded
voters – Democrats compromised with their Republican colleagues and settled for
a gain of only one Democratic House slot. With 50 Congressional incumbents appearing on Novembers California ballot,
voters reelected all 50. Every Congressional district is essentially locked up
for one party or the other, and California will most likely send 33 Democrats
and 20 Republicans to Washington until 2013. As a result, the California Congressional delegation will be simultaneously
more cooperative and more powerful. Maintaining the status quo dodges the divisiveness that could have stemmed
from a partisan power grab. Twenty years ago, a Democrat-dominated redistricting
shifted Californias House membership overnight from an even partisan split to
a lopsided Democrat majority, and a decade of bitter intrastate feuds and
Congressional losses ensued. A less partisan remap ten years later ushered in a
decade of bipartisan cooperation, led first by Reps. Jerry Lewis of Redlands and
Lucille Roybal-Allard of Los Angeles, and later Sam Farr of Carmel and David
Dreier of Glendora. After redistricting, those four members gained in seniority – Dreier chairs
the pivotal Rules Committee and the other three gained ground on the cash-doling
Appropriations Committee. Californias growing seniority has allowed the state to capture an
unprecedented five full committee chairmanships in the new Congress. In the top
elite as committee chairs, Dreier and tax-writing Ways and Means Committee Chair
Bill Thomas have been joined by San Diegan Duncan Hunter who takes command of
the Armed Services Committee. Chairing the Resources Committee – with authority
over water, environment, energy, and lands matters – is Richard Pombo. The new
Homeland Security panel is being led by Christopher Cox, who will also keep his
party post as the fifth ranking Republican in the House. On the other side of the aisle, San Franciscos Nancy Pelosi has become the
Houses number one Democrat, with Bob Matsui of Sacramento as the top party
fund-raiser. Influence is rising too for every other returning Californian. Turning out seasoned Congressmembers can undermine state power. Rep. Gary
Condit, defeated in the primary, was a key player on agriculture policy, and
Long Beach Republican Steve Horn – forced into retirement by redistricting –
would have been our standard-bearer in this years epic battle for billions of
highway and transit dollars. Still, the rest of the nation more freely fired their politicians in
November. California, more than 12 percent of the House, accounted for less than
4 percent of House turnover. More senior members mean more clout in jousts over
taxation, social policy, and federal money for defense, education,
transportation, and health. Like them or not, safer seats – and the seniority that accompanies them –
generously stock Californias arsenal for another decades worth of
interstate combat. ===================== Ransdell is executive director of the California Institute, a bipartisan,
Washington-based nonprofit that advises the members of the states
Congressional delegation. Copyright 2003 Union-Tribune Publishing
Co. Used by permission. Or click here to
Click
here to return to the California Institute home page.
e-mail
us.