South Florida retains clout in U.S. House

By LESLEY CLARK

Miami Herald

WASHINGTON – Ensconced in safe seats, Reps. Kendrick Meek and Debbie Wasserman Schultz campaigned hard last fall for fellow Democrats in hope of seizing control of Congress.

Now that it has happened, the two South Floridians are in positions of considerable clout. Observers say that will help the state retain its influence, even though Florida’s congressional delegation remains mostly Republican — 17 to 10 — in a Congress that will be ruled by Democrats starting today.

Florida elected the most new members of Congress — five — with veterans like Fort Lauderdale Republican Rep. Clay Shaw losing a bid for reelection and other Republicans adjusting to life in the minority. But political watchers say the state retains leverage — with young Democrats like Miami’s Meek named to the House Ways and Means Committee and Weston’s Wasserman Schultz chosen as a chief deputy whip and a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

The appointments to the top committees come as House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi puts an increased emphasis on promoting younger members to influential posts.

”Speaker Pelosi is committed to helping the next generation, grooming the next generation of members to take the baton,” said Wasserman Schultz, 40. “She has spent her time in leadership looking past her generation of members and thinking what Congress is going to look like and what it’s going to be like.”

And Pelosi — who upon her swearing in today will become the first woman speaker ever and the first Democrat in 12 years — is also looking to the next election.

She has appointed Democrats like South Florida Reps.-elect Ron Klein and Tim Mahoney, who narrowly won seats in Republican-friendly districts and are likely 2008 targets, to the influential House Financial Services Committee. The panel, which gives them a platform to push for a national catastrophic insurance fund, has proven a magnet for campaign contributions as it oversees the lucrative securities, insurance, banking and housing industries.

‘You’ve got to start Jan. 1 recognizing that `Hey, we have a job to do,’ ” said Klein, acknowledging his instant status as a probable Republican target. The former state senator defeated Shaw, who was first elected to the seat in 1980.

PRIORITY LIST

Though the national focus is likely to be the war in Iraq, increasing the minimum wage and lowering the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly, the Florida delegation’s priority list includes finding money to ease South Florida’s congested roads, securing more federal dollars for Everglades restoration efforts and pushing to establish the catastrophic insurance fund.

Those goals find both newly empowered Democrats and Republicans who find themselves adjusting to minority status with much in common.

Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen — who instead of chairing the House International Relations Committee will have to settle for serving as its top Republican member — said she has already invited Wasserman Schultz to tour two of her priorities that need federal dollars: the Miami River and the Florida Keys.

”They’re going to be carrying the water for all of us,” Ros-Lehtinen said of Meek and Wasserman Schultz, noting that no South Florida member of Congress has served on the Appropriations Committee since Meek’s mother, former Rep. Carrie Meek, retired in 2002. “When people say we’ve diminished our clout, it’s absolutely not true. They’re ascending into powerful positions.”

KEY COMMITTEE

Indeed, observers note that in the past, major public works projects such as Metrorail and the expansion of Metromover were begun when South Florida members were on the Appropriations Committee, which controls billions of dollars in federal spending.

Meek, 40, who said he hopes to use his influence to benefit Miami-Dade empowerment zones and other projects, said he and Wasserman Schultz secured the hotly contested committee assignments though neither is considered an ”endangered member” who might need a critical committee seat to stay in Congress.

He said part of the reason is a long-standing relationship with Pelosi. Meek and Wasserman Schultz were founding members of Pelosi’s ”30-something working group,” 10 House members under 40 who tirelessly bashed the Bush administration from the House floor — even when the audience was a sole C-Span camera.

”These young members pushed our message on the Republican rubber-stamp Congress on the House floor on nearly a nightly basis,” Pelosi said in a statement, noting that the two ”rising stars” would serve on “top committees.”

NO. 3 REPUBLICAN

On the Republican side, Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow, 32 — the youngest member ever elected from Florida — defeated three rivals to take the No. 3 spot in Republican leadership — chairman of the Republican Conference, which sets the party’s agenda.

Florida’s status as a must-win presidential state will also serve to bolster its influence. Republican Florida Sen. Mel Martinez has been tapped by President Bush to serve as honorary chairman of the Republican National Committee.

The delegation — which fractured last year over oil drilling — is likely to be further frayed by the continuing dispute over the Sarasota-area congressional seat once held by Rep. Katherine Harris. Democrats say Republican Vern Buchanan, who was certified by the state as the winner of the seat by 369 votes, will be sworn into office today.

But Democratic challenger Christine Jennings has asked Congress to look at the matter — and potentially oust Buchanan.

Copyright 2007