THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 3, 1995 TAG: 9412310006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
As the guard changes in Washington, Virginia Democrats will lose power and Virginia Republicans will gain it. But does that spell change for the better for Virginia itself?
Democrats Norman Sisisky and Rich Boucher will each lose a chairmanship of a subcommittee, dealing respectively with military oversight and science. In the Senate, Chuck Robb will go from being a majority party backbencher to a minority party backbencher.
Meanwhile, Virginia Republicans will get a shot at real power. Tom Bliley, the representative from Philip Morris, will become chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. That's the bloated fiefdom long presided over by the autocratic John Dingell.
The fact that Energy and Commerce continues to have a big say over tobacco suggests the Republican reorganization and rationalization of Congress still has some way to go. But Bliley will be well-placed to protect local interests.
Herb Bateman will chair an Armed Services subcommittee that will now oversee domestic shipbuilding as well and gets a seat on Public Works and Transportation, a traditionally pork-laden venue.
Rep. Frank Wolf will chair an Appropriations subcommittee with power over road money. And newly elected Tom Davis of Fairfax County will be chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the District of Columbia, an assignment that could prove a mixed blessing.
On the Senate side, Sen. John Warner, who has for years played second fiddle to Sam Nunn on the Armed Services Committee, will be playing second banana to Strom Thurmond now.
Nevertheless, if business as usual were to be transacted, Virginia would have every reason to congratulate itself on increasing its clout over the military, shipbuilding, roads, public works, tobacco and D.C.
However, Republicans won their majority by promising to end business as usual. Anti-tobacco regulations may be less of a threat under the new regime, but farm subsidies - including those aimed at tobacco - might be expected to face renewed scrutiny.
Defense spending may not decline as fast as in the last several years, but fat increases for the Pentagon are out of the question. At best, military downsizing will proceed more slowly. Pork for roads and public works is what the new Republican majority is supposed to be stamping out, not perpetuating. So a Virginia version of Robert Byrd may not be in our future.
Once, in the days before deficits and the bloated federal government became issues, representatives went to Washington to protect the interests of locals and to bring home the bacon. In the brave new world of the conservative counter-revolution, representatives have promised to cut federal spending and stop handing out pork. If they succeed, will their constituents be appreciative or feel shortchanged? by CNB