Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Ten Months In, Members Still Leaving the 111th Congress

Considering the hard work and luck that it takes to get elected, it seems a bit surprising that so many folks in Congress have quit their seats so far this year. While many of them left to fill spots in the Obama Administration, a few have simply opted out for greener pastures in the private sector. The record-low approval ratings that Congress is facing could go a long way toward explaining this mini-exodus, but whatever the reason behind it, it’s apparently not over yet.

This week, House member Robert Wexler (D-FL, 19^th) announced that he will be leaving Congress in order to take a position as head of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. The Congressman initially made a name for himself in 2000, when he was an outspoken representative of his party during the presidential election recount. He is a self-described “fire-breathing liberal” who argued against the impeachment of President Clinton, as well as for that of President Bush. Wexler was also one of the earliest and most vocal supporters of President Obama during the 2008 election, emphatically campaigning on his behalf and helping increase support for him amongst Jewish communities.His close association with the President leads some experts to believe that this move is about strengthening support for the President’s two-state initiative within those same Jewish communities.He’s expected to take his new position in January of 2010, meaning he won’t be serving out the end of his term, and a special election must be held in order to find his replacement.

Wexler’s district is heavily Democratic, representing portions of Broward and West Palm Beach counties, so his party is unlikely to lose his seat to a Republican. Still, the announcement came as something of a surprise, so potential successors will have little time to prepare and execute a campaign. Those scrambling to get their names in the hat include state Senators Jeremy Ring and Ted Deutch, West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Grankel, Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter and former Broward County Commissioner Ben Graber. It’s still very early, and, due to the unexpected nature of the race, it’s anyone’s game. We’ll keep you updated with the special elections date, when it’s announced, and to let you know if any candidate jumps ahead of the pack.

Wexler isn’t the only member planning to prematurely vacate his spot in Congress; faithful readers will remember that, back in August, Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) announced that she would be stepping down from her Senate seat this fall in order to pursue her candidacy for governor of Texas. It looks like she may have had a change of heart, however, as she had originally planned to leave her post sometime in October, but yesterday, in a radio interview, she made it seem as if she could be staying longer. Citing the wishes of “some people”, as well as the need to fight against the President’s health care reform proposal, Hutchison refused to set a concrete date, and it appears she could remain in her post through the March primary. Her gubernatorial opponent, Governor Perry (R), has already jumped on her apparent indecisiveness, accusing her of the dreaded waffling. While the Senator was wise not to set an exact date for departure, one can only wonder why she brought it up at all. It was obvious back in July that health care would be a hot-button issue through the end of the year, so citing that as her reason rings a bit hollow. It is a minor issue, but it gives her opponents some ammunition, which could go far in what will likely be a very close primary.

Bonus health care coverage:

Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee voted on whether to send the infamous Baucus bill to the Senate floor, and it passed with a tally of 14-9. As expected, the vote fell largely down party lines, with all Democrats voting for, and all but one Republican voting against it. The lone aisle-crosser was Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who was seen as the last great hope for President Obama to achieve some kind of bipartisan support for his reform initiative. The White House was quick to praise the Senator, as well as the other members of the Committee. Snowe made it clear, however, that she was supporting the Finance Committee’s bill, and might not necessarily support one with any significant changes. Snowe’s fellow Senator, Susan Collins (R-ME), released a statement supporting her colleague, but expressing concerns over the contents of the bill. While this is comforting news to those hoping for a bipartisan bill, progressives hoping for the inclusion of a government-run public option see it as a potentially bad sign. While there are currently four other health care bills – three in the House, and one from the Senate HELP Committee – which all contain a public option, the Baucus bill is likely to be the basis for the final legislation that is sent to the President, due to the modicum of bipartisan support it has behind it.

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