Dennis Hastert at the Helm

0 Comments | Insight on the News, April 5, 1999 | by Jennifer G. Hickey

DeLay, who has strengthened his ties with religious conservatives and is a member, with Dick Armey, of the conservative elite's Council for National Policy, remains in position to act as Hastert's conservative sounding board. Furthermore, with his impressive skills as whip -- DeLay was responsible for counting and ensuring enough votes for at least two of the four counts of impeachment against President Clinton--Hastert will have his hand on the legislative pulse and should avoid major legislative defeats.

In addition, several former DeLay staffers and other conservatives have been drafted for Hastert's inner circle. In late January, Feehery left the lobbying firm of former Republican National Committee chairman Haley Barbour to return to Hastert's staff. Feehery not only had served in Hastert's district office but had worked for DeLay's communications shop. Policy adviser Ralph Hellmann, and Scott Hatch, who serves as executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, or NRCC, also are alumni of DeLay's whip office. And Jana Novak, a former staffer for Gingrich, has joined Hastert as a writer.

Filling out Hastert's "offensive line" are the men and women who will be advising, guiding and watching out for the Illinoisan. A colleague in the Illinois delegation with a conservative voting record, Rep. Thomas Ewing, has illustrated a strong loyalty to Hastert and likely will play a behind-the-scenes role in guiding the speaker's agenda. From an agricultural district, Ewing nonetheless has supported "most favored nation" or MFN, trade status for China and has a goal of making that status permanent. With the alleged involvement of Communist China in the 1996 elections and the recent disclosures of Chinese spies purloining nuclear data from the Los Alamos National Labs, MFN will be a hot issue.

Another from the Illinois posse who has the speaker's ear is Rep. Ray LaHood. As former chief of staff to Michel, it was expected that LaHood would be instrumental in reshaping the speakership in the mold of his former boss. In fact, it was LaHood who with former Colorado Democratic Rep. David Skaggs proposed the annual bipartisan retreat in Hershey, Penn. A moderate from the central Illinois district adjacent to Ewing, he did not sign the GOP "Contract With America," which served as the legislative foundation for the 104th Congress.

One of the speaker's closest advisers likely will be Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, who was Hastert's campaign manager in his run for the speakership. A firm conservative, Camp should be a force to reckon with: He not only has Hastert's ear but a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Bringing experience to the team is Virginian Thomas Bliley. First elected in 1980, Bliley is a conservative who has worked well on committees with fiercely partisan Democrats, such as Michigan's John Dingell and California's Henry Waxman, but still has managed to find bipartisan ground. Bliley is chairman of the Commerce Committee, a position he was awarded by Gingrich.