Player of the Week: Rep. Van Hollen

Fresh
off his campaign win last week, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) will seek
a legislative win.

Last Tuesday’s special election of
now-Rep. Mark Critz (D-Pa.) was another feather in Van Hollen’s cap as
chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Van
Hollen is still seeking votes, but not in Johnstown, Pa. He is rallying
support for his campaign finance reform bill that could hit the floor
this week. The Maryland Democrat teamed up with Sen. Charles Schumer
(D-N.Y.) to craft the measure soon after the Supreme Court’s landmark
ruling in the Citizens United case.

The good news for Van
Hollen is that polls show his bill is popular. Unlike Schumer, Van
Hollen has GOP co-sponsors (Reps. Mike Castle, Del., and Walter Jones,
N.C.).

The bad news is that powerful interest groups,
including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Rifle Association and
AFL-CIO, have expressed major concerns about the bill, which critics say
would infringe on free speech.

There are a number of
business-friendly Democrats who have not signed on to the bill,
including Reps. Melissa Bean (Ill.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Walt Minnick
(Idaho), Jim Matheson (Utah) and John Barrow (Ga.).

All
these Democrats received money from the Chamber’s political action
committee in the last two cycles. As The Hill’s Susan Crabtree reported,
a vote for Van Hollen’s bill will play a major role in the Chamber’s
endorsement decisions this cycle.

The Chamber has called the
legislation “unconstitutional” and “un-American.”

It will be a
tough vote for some House members, and more than a few will want the
Senate to act first. For now, the Senate will follow, as Schumer is
eyeing a floor vote before the July 4 recess.

Certain
politically vulnerable House Democrats have backed the bill, including
Reps. John Boccieri (Ohio), Mary Jo Kilroy (Ohio) and Larry Kissell
(N.C.).

Van Hollen has his work cut out for him this week. He
has shown, however, most recently in the 12th district of Pennsylvania,
that he knows how to get the votes.