Johanns will seek opening on Senate Finance

On Wednesday, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), the most senior senator angling for the slot, said he is “very interested” in the panel, which has jurisdiction over trade, taxes, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The decision ultimately lies with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who could pay heed to seniority rankings and appoint DeMint or choose someone else, such as Johanns.

Traditionally, the Senate Republican Conference uses seniority to determine committee assignments, but McConnell has shown he’s willing to buck that policy. 

Although Johanns is down the seniority list, several others ahead of him, including Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the ranking member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has said he isn’t interested in the Finance spot. 

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who has more seniority than Johanns and holds a senior position on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, hasn’t announced whether he’ll seek the Finance seat. 

Johanns, elected in 2008, has proven steady and persistent, traits clearly seen in his campaign to repeal the 1099 provision in the healthcare law, which would have required businesses to file the forms to the IRS for every vendor from which they purchased $600 or more in goods and services. 

A former governor of Nebraska — like his Democratic counterpart Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) — Johanns showed a willingness to reach across party lines to foment support for the 1099 repeal. 

Meanwhile, DeMint has carved out his own conservative path as a founding member of the Senate Tea Party Caucus and is seen as one of the populist movement’s leaders in Congress. 

He hasn’t backed down from challenging his own leadership, eventually getting McConnell onboard late last year on his proposed earmark ban. 

Also on Wednesday, Georgia Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson pulled his name from contention for the seat, saying he wanted to avoid conflict of interest because of his role on the Ethics Committee that investigated Ensign’s conduct.

Isakson, the vice chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, was one of the leaders of the investigation, forcing Ensign to resign.