Tiberi allies tout cash game in gavel race

Rep. Pat Tiberi and his allies are touting the Ohio Republican’s close ties to K Street and his national fundraising prowess as he seeks an edge in the two-man race for the House Ways and Means gavel that could be decided within days.

His only rival, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), has a leg up when it comes to seniority on the powerful tax-writing panel. Brady is the second-ranking Republican on the committee; Tiberi is fourth.

But there are plenty of recent instances when the most senior member of a committee didn’t win the gavel. Since the 111th Congress, 10 House Republicans have edged out more senior members for committee gavels, GOP aides said. That includes Texas Reps. Jeb Hensarling, Mike McCaul, Lamar Smith and Mike Conaway.

“Seniority is just an age, not a strategy,” said a former GOP leadership aide who’s tracking the race.

Brady recently told The Hill that his broad committee experience, and his ability to work with Republicans of all stripes, makes him an appealing candidate. Brady is chairman of Ways and Means’ Health subcommittee and previously led the Trade subcommittee, now chaired by Tiberi.

“We are confident we have the support of the committee members to lead them in advancing speaker Ryan’s pro-growth agenda,” said Brady spokesman David O’Brien.

Tiberi allies say he’s wrapped up support from a majority of the 23 GOP members of the Ways and Means panel. And in a letter to his committee colleagues, he laid out his “vision” that includes fixing the nation’s transportation infrastructure, building on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, and overhauling the tax system.

But in their pitch to the GOP Steering Committee, Tiberi backers are also highlighting his reputation as a tireless fundraiser deft at filling his own coffers — as well as giving large sums to the party and traveling the country to raise cash for colleagues.

That will be crucial, Tiberi supporters say, given that new Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who stepped down as Ways and Means chairman, has vowed he’ll spend weekends with his young family instead of crisscrossing the country fundraising for the GOP.

Helping out colleagues, the former leadership aide said, has endeared him to many members.

Those ties, he said, make Tiberi “the one best suited to push the Speaker’s agenda across the finish line. Relationships are just as important as policy, because it’s so much easier to sit down and work with someone that you know.”
This week’s departure of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), perhaps the GOP’s most successful fundraiser and one of Tiberi’s closest friends, also leaves a multi-million-dollar void for the party going forward, Tiberi backers noted.

“Pat has been a very solid fundraiser since he’s been in Congress. It’s been a consistent and sustained effort. It is something that clearly distinguished him,” Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), a Ways and Means member who is close to Tiberi, told The Hill on Friday.

Tiberi personally helped raise cash for Boustany when he faced a tough primary challenge in 2012.

“Not only does he raise more than what he needs to” for the House GOP’s campaign arm, Boustany said, “he does events for other members all the time.”

Since being elected in 2000, Tiberi has raised more than $23 million in his campaign committee and leadership PAC, which currently puts him as the 13th most prolific fundraiser in the House, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. 

He ranks as the 24th most generous current House member, having given more than $3 million to other Republican candidates and party committees over the course of his tenure.

Meanwhile, Brady has raised $14 million for his campaign and leadership committees since joining Congress in 1997, according to CRP — making him the 66th best fundraiser of current House members.

He has given a total of $2.6 million to Republicans during that time, ranking 36th.

“If Tiberi wins, it’s because he out-hustled Brady,” one financial services lobbyist told The Hill. “And if Brady wins, it’s because he’s such a nice guy and they felt bad skipping over him.”

The roughly 30-member Steering Committee, which picks committee chairmen, is expected to interview both Brady and Tiberi early next week and could vote on a new Ways and Means chairman by Wednesday.

Most members aren’t showing their cards, but Brady already has two backers on the panel: his Washington roommates, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), the GOP’s chief vote counter, and Rep. John Shimkus (R-lll.).

One Steering panel member told The Hill the vote could be so close it will all come down to Ryan, who so far is neutral in the race. The Wisconsin Republican gets five votes.

“I think Paul would have a big influence here if he chooses,” the Steering member said Friday. “I don’t think it will be won on K Street. It will be won with the members voting in the room.”

The Steering Committee also will choose someone to fill the slot on Ways and Means vacated by Ryan. Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) and Tom Rice (R-S.C.) are among those who have expressed interest in serving on Ways and Means, GOP sources said.

A former Brady aide said that the Texas Republican is touting his experience on the Ways and Means subcommittees and his close work with Ryan in those roles as reason for the promotion.

“He’ll continue now-Speaker Ryan’s vision of a pro-growth agenda,” the former aide said. “He’s got great ties to the business community as well.”

Brady also serves as the vice chairman for the Joint Economic Committee.

While both men have a slew of lobbyist donors, some in Tiberi’s camp are pushing his relationships with the downtown community as a way to increase his already impressive money-raising potential going forward.

Some of Brady’s most recent donors from K Street include Dean Rosen, of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas; Jennifer Young of Tarplin Downs & Young; veteran tax lobbyist at Federal Policy Group, Ken Kies; Darren Willcox of W Strategies, and several Podesta Group lobbyists, including former aide to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) Matt Johnson, David Marin, Lauren Maddox and Stephen Rademaker.

This year, Tiberi has received donations from Steve Stombres, former chief of staff to former Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), and Manny Rossman of Harbinger Strategies; H. Stewart Van Scoyoc, the head of Van Scoyoc Associates; Carl Thorsen of Thorsen French Advocacy; Stacey Hughes and Emily Porter of The Nickles Group; Bob Brooks of Alpine Group; and Doug Schwartz, Mike Nielson and Jay Cranford of CGCN Group.

Last Wednesday, Tiberi held a conference call with K Street supporters to discuss his plans for the race, Politico reported. A day later, Brady met with about 50 lobbyists on Capitol Hill about the Ways and Means gavel.