Dems cautious on Chaffetz

Some Democrats are skeptical that incoming House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) will really be that different from his controversial predecessor Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).

Chaffetz and the other three contenders for the high-profile gavel — GOP Reps. Michael Turner (Ohio), Jim Jordan (Ohio) and John Mica (Fla.) — all reiterated throughout their campaigns that they would run the committee differently from Issa, who has repeatedly clashed with Democrats and the White House during his tenure.

{mosads}The Utah Republican is well known for his media savvy and statements sometimes perceived to be extreme. For instance, Chaffetz urged the Secret Service during a September hearing to adopt more stringent security policies so that any person who jumps the White House fence is automatically gunned down.

Chaffetz caused headaches for the Obama administration when, at a 2012 hearing on the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, he hinted that undercover agents were involved. And in 2011, the Department of Homeland Security complained that Chaffetz disclosed “sensitive security information” to the media regarding security breaches at U.S. airports.

Chaffetz also hinted President Obama could face impeachment over what he viewed as a “cover-up” of the Benghazi attack. However, Chaffetz didn’t go as far as explicitly endorsing impeachment proceedings.

But fellow Republicans think his ability to command headlines will be an asset for the party and his committee.

“I think Jason will do a great job. He has a good media presence, good media savvy. The committee gins up a lot of media, and I think Jason will handle it well,” predicted Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas).

Issa generated unwanted headlines for the GOP leadership, when he was perceived as going overboard, such as during the 2012 contempt of Congress proceedings for Attorney General Eric Holder and when he cut off the microphone for Oversight Committee ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) during a March hearing on the IRS.

“I said, look, I’ve got a real plan moving forward. I would take a different approach than Chairman Issa. I’m very grateful for it, but it needs to go in a different direction,” Chaffetz said after finishing his presentation before the House GOP Steering Committee, which decides chairmanships.

Cummings said he hoped Chaffetz wouldn’t follow the same route as Issa despite what he described as “loud” statements.

“I would hope that he will have learned from the experiences with Chairman Issa,” Cummings said.

Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) said he hoped the three-term Republican’s past statements wouldn’t be a preview of Chaffetz’s future leadership.

“The more we are here, the more we mature,” Clay said.

Cummings further suggested that Chaffetz might be under pressure from GOP leadership, now in control of both chambers, to coordinate ways to attack the Obama administration.

“I’m not sure who will be in control. That’s another wild card that’s hard to determine. In other words, if there is a national strategy for the election and the commands are coming from [Speaker John] Boehner’s [R-Ohio] office, I don’t know what will happen. I’m sure they’re going to have some say in a lot of things,” Cummings said. 

In any case, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said it would be imperative for the new chairman to repair committee relationships with the other side of the aisle.

“I hope Mr. Chaffetz means what he says and genuinely tries to build a working relationship with our side of the aisle, which has been so badly damaged by Mr. Issa,” Connolly said.

Some Democrats worry that Chaffetz, despite his pledges, will prioritize chasing headlines with partisan investigations and outlandish statements.

“To quote ‘House of Cards,’ the British version, you might very well say that, ‘I couldn’t possibly comment,’ ” Connolly said.

Still, other Democrats say Chaffetz is a better deal than Issa, noting they’ve also found him to be more methodical and thoughtful.

“He has always demonstrated a certain seriousness and thoroughness to his work. He’s a hard worker. He does his homework. He’s prepared,” said Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.). “I think a lot of members on our side respect him for his work ethic, and I think that will help.”

Lynch noted that Issa tended to run investigations on “24-hours’ notice,” such as giving other committee members a minimal heads up on trips abroad. But Lynch said Chaffetz has generally shown more consideration for other members for time-sensitive issues like travel.

Even so, the institutional nature of the committee may work against Chaffetz despite his best efforts to work with Democrats. The panel is charged with handling the most prominent oversight of the current administration, which inevitably creates tension with the president’s party.

Farenthold noted that issues often become partisan on the committee, even if there is initially bipartisan outrage over a given controversy.

“By the time you get to a second or third hearing on the subject, Democrats have circled the wagons,” Farenthold said. “I don’t blame that on Issa. I think this is the natural way the committee functions.”

“Issa developed a little bit of history over his time. Jason starts with a clean slate. The early years may be good; the latter years may not. We’ll see,” Farenthold said.