Three battle to lead GOP on House military panel

Three Republicans aiming to take the top GOP spot on the prestigious House Armed Services Committee will make their case to the House Republican Steering Committee this week.

Reps. John McHugh (R-N.Y.), Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) and Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) will interview on Wednesday with the committee, although it may not select ranking committee members until January, according to a GOP leadership aide.

{mosads}McHugh is considered the front-runner because of his seniority and work on the committee. He becomes the senior Republican on the committee with the retirements of Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), the current ranking member, and Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), the second most senior member.

Bartlett is next in line after McHugh, while Thornberry falls behind Bartlett and Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) in the Republicans’ line.

All three contenders have been hush-hush about the race, making their case to other lawmakers in private. Given their smaller minorities in the House and a Democrat in the Oval Office, congressional sources said the ranking Republican on the committee could have a more significant position. The Armed Services panel has oversight of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the Pentagon.

McHugh, the ranking member of the Military Personnel subcommittee, is “running on his record” and is not focused on his opponents, according to his spokeswoman, Stephanie Nigro.

Bartlett, who, like McHugh, was a member of the congressional class of 1992, is the ranking member and former chairman of the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces subcommittee.

Seniority is a significant factor in the Steering Committee’s decision, but so are contributions to the Republican Party and loyalty to leadership. Thornberry — the more junior contender — is counting on his good standing with leadership as well as his more conservative credentials to win the post.

Congressional sources told The Hill that some members of the committee and other lawmakers in leadership approached Thornberry and urged him to become a contender for the position. Thornberry is currently the ranking member of the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities subcommittee.

For a committee that at least in recent history has a bipartisan reputation, the Republican leadership may be looking for an attack dog of sorts to clearly delineate the Democratic and Republican positions when it comes to military policy and the wars. Thornberry has voted with the Republican Conference about 95 percent of the time and has proven a prolific fundraiser, outpacing both McHugh and Bartlett.

“His strengths are his commitment to the conference and supporting the leadership, as evidenced by his voting record; his willingness and past history of working to help other members … and finally, his ability and record of being an effective communicator and being able to draw the [differences] between the Democrats and Republicans in the big marketplace of ideas,” said George Rasley, Thornberry’s spokesman.

After the Steering Committee votes, the decision still has to be ratified by the entire GOP conference.

The Steering Committee has 33 votes, and contenders need at least 17 to get a favorable recommendation.