OP-ED | Uncertain Waters Ahead for Connecticut’s Congressional Delegation
by Heath W. Fahle | Dec 12, 2010 12:06am
(6) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Congress, Election 2010, Opinion
On Jan. 3, 2011, the control of the gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives will change from Democratic to Republican hands as Speaker-designate John Boehner takes over from Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the wake of the historic November 2010 elections. Though it seems practically commonplace after the past six years, such transfers are actually quite rare. In the last 100 years, control has changed only seven times.
Connecticut’s representation in the U.S. House has trended closely with the overall control of the body over much of the last ten years. From 2000 to 2006, three of the five Congressional Districts were represented by Republicans as they held the majority. In the 2006 elections, Connecticut flipped with the nation and sent four Democrats to Washington. Fairfield County’s Rep. Christopher Shays stood as the lone Republican in the delegation until he too was swept away with the Barack Obama tide in 2008.
Rowing with the tide has been to Connecticut’s benefit in the U.S. House, as the rules that govern that body give wide leverage to the majority and render the minority virtually powerless as the “loyal opposition.”
But in the 2010 elections, in which Republicans nationwide netted 62 new seats in the U.S. House, Connecticut was one of just a handful of states that bucked the trend. In fact, the Nutmeg State is now just one of seven states that send completely Democratic delegations to Washington. With this new balance of power, Connecticut’s Members of Congress face the possibility of being in a weaker position than at any other time in recent history.
Some of the effects have already been seen as stalwart Members like Reps. John Larson and Rosa DeLauro have lost some of their influence at the Capitol and continue to face challenges from their colleagues for leadership posts.
Diminished influence will manifest itself in many ways. At a time when state officials seem to be hoping that the federal government will again provide funds to balance the state budget, a Congressional delegation with diluted influence may be unable to offer much federal help. With a dramatically imbalanced federal budget, very difficult choices are certain to be made about which programs to save and which to cut. But when the new majority in the U.S. House prepares to enact these changes, they will likely seek little input from our delegation.
Connecticut’s need for infrastructure investment in our highways, ports, airports, and submarine base remain significant. But without the clout in Congress to advocate for them, they face a potentially perilous future. With a dwindling ability to make things happen in Washington, Representatives may turn to in-district efforts to make up the difference in other ways.
Second District Congressman Joe Courtney, for example, worked with the leadership in Washington, D.C. to speed up the nation’s submarine building schedule so that new Virginia-class submarines could be constructed at the General Dynamics-Electric Boat dockyards in Groton. This accomplishment was a winner in eastern Connecticut and was featured in a Courtney campaign advertisement.
But as a member of the minority caucus, Courtney and his fellow Members are likely to shift their focus toward delivering results from within their districts as opposed to Washington. Mr. Courtney, for example, was lauded this week by the President and CEO of the Mystic Aquarium, who praised Courtney’s role in brokering a deal that will keep the Aquarium from sinking under an ocean of debt.
With a Democratic President and a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, House Democrats certainly will not be powerless. But when the 112th Congress is sworn into office on January 3, 2011, Connecticut’s delegation will be far weaker than they have been in years past. How this shift ultimately impacts the state will play a major role over the next two years.
Heath W. Fahle served as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Republican Party from 2007-2009. Contact Heath about this article by visiting www.heathwfahle.com
Tags: Heath W. Fahle, Congress, Connecticut
(6) Comments
posted by: hawkeye | December 12, 2010 9:43pm
It is ironic that Connecticut voters sent a five person Democratic delegation to Congress, that should face diminished influence, with representing our state, in a bad economy!
posted by: CT Jim | December 13, 2010 10:39am
So your Idea Hawky was to send 5 Republicans to DC who could get stuff passed in the house but have ZERO Chance of getting passed in the senate and a 90% chance of getting vetoed if it did???
So what great achievements is a republican congressman going to make with 1/3 of the leadership when the other 2/3’s are held by democrats?? (Senate President) And if i’m not mistaking (which I’m not)
The republicans have been steadfast AGAINST helping the states in this fiscal train wreck THEY caused!!!
posted by: hawkeye | December 13, 2010 12:07pm
CTJim:
Your allegation that our Congressional Republicans have been steadfast AGAINST helping the states, is strictly your narrow, misleading Democratic political view, as the FACT IS: Obama and his Democratic Congress, have been in complete control of our fiscal train wreck, for the past two years.
posted by: GoatBoyPHD | December 14, 2010 4:16am
The GOP and the 26 remaining Blue Dogs add up to 62% of the House. That’s the reality in Washington.
Social and fiscal progressives make up at best 38% of the new House.
The Senate Blue Dogs and GOP make up a slight majority of the Senate and easily can defeat any filibuster over ride.
The CT Democrats will do what they always do: support military spending and CT contracts and sell their votes accordingly. Standard Operating Procedure.
Vote party line with the President and offer lip service to the Progressive agenda.
The deficit, the wars, and Health Care have everyone’s hands tied anyway.
There’s a rumor Obama may support a 20% flat tax with $30,000 deduction as a way to reform the tax code after signing the Bush tax cuts. It’s the only way to truly make a dent in the deficit and get Health Care funded and in return give the GOP a pretty big bone.
A flat tax would eliminate the mortgage interest deduction which minority groups railed agaist for years as artificially inflating housing costs and having an inherent racial bias due to inequal wealth and access to mortgages favoring Caucasians.
posted by: thomas hooker | December 15, 2010 5:46pm
Mr. Fahle is patently wrong on his premise that the state will suffer from its delegation being in the minority now. Keep in mind that all the time that we had three Republicans in the five-person congressional delegation, Connecticut ranked second to last in its return of federal dollars compared with the taxes it paid into Washington. Indeed, that figure declined during the twelve years of Republican control of that body. Republican Chris Shays used to dismiss that position by saying that it was just a function of our making a lot of money in the state. Moreover, it is ironic that we learn that the state is struggling to pay the final amount for new rail cars for our shamefully outmoded Metro North commuter rail system, because Chris Shays repeatedly refused to join the transportation committee, and was adamant that transportation was a local, not a federal, responsibility. While he held that view, our share of federal transport dollars declined continuously.
At least for the two years that we had majority Democratic representation in Congress, we got a bit of a return from Washington. According to Jodi Rell’s website, this state received more than $4 billion in federal stimulus funds. We received nearly a billion dollars to help keep our schools running.
So if the Republicans would like to help us out, then fine. But at least acknowledge the truth that the Republicans chronically shortchanged this state when they were in power and when we had a majority of Republicans in the Congress from this state. And give a heartfelt thank you to our Congressional Democrats who did so much to keep this state afloat when they were in charge.
Acknowledge the truth.
posted by: hawkeye | December 15, 2010 8:58pm
Thomas Hooker: You promote
the blame game, only against Republicans, because you happen to be a Democrat. With our country pushing a $15 trillion dollar deficit, and our dollar now a second-rate world currency, it’s time to end your blame game. Besides, our state budget, is also in a near $5 billian dollar shortfall, that won’t be solved by blaming the other party. Our combined Democratic and Republican Congressional Congress, are responsible, and both parties must be held accountable for the mess we are in.
As a state, Connectticut gets back the least tax dollars, from the taxes we, as taxpayers, pay to Washington.
Push our Connecticut Democratic Congressmen, Representing us in Washington. to give back more of our tax dollars, to the State of Connecticut.