Springfield Congressman Billy Long joins push for cuts in spending
Posted on February 26, 2011 14:02 pm CST
Freshman representative votes in line with U.S. Congress' conservatives.
Washington -- As an auctioneer, Rep. Billy Long is used to having his voice heard. That hasn't changed, despite giving up his bullhorn for a seat in Congress.
It's just that now, things are done a bit differently. As a new member of the Republican Study Committee and one of 87 freshmen Republicans, the Springfield representative is finding that the best way to be heard is to speak as a chorus.
When Republican leaders planned to bring a bill to the House floor that cut spending by $40 billion, conservatives from the Republican Study Committee and House freshmen objected that it wasn't enough. It was during a closed-door meeting of the Republican conference.
"We had the conference that day and when it came time for members to step forward at the microphone and say what they thought needed to be said, there were about 10 of us who went to the microphone," said RSC Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. "I would argue that that was when things really started to move."
Long didn't speak at the microphone that day, but he was heard.
"I let my opinion be known, along with the rest of them," Long said. "We didn't need a cheerleader, we were all on the same page."
Luckily for Long, it's not that difficult to be heard in the 435-member U.S. House when you're among new GOP members all shouting the same thing.
"There was a very strong sentiment that ran through the freshman class that we should stick to our guns," Long said, explaining how he and others wanted leadership to honor their pledge to cut $100 billion in spending during the first year.
Jordan credits Long as being part of the groundswell that pressured Republican leaders to scrap their original bill and bring a different measure to the House floor, one that made more than $20 billion in additional cuts, bringing the total cuts to $61 billion.
(Republicans contend it cuts $100 billion because they measure the cuts from President Barack Obama's 2011 budget proposal, which never passed; the bill would cut $61 billion from current spending levels, which are about the same as 2010.)
"Billy was part of that successful effort," Jordan said. "The key to turning things around and putting our country on the right fiscal path is this freshman class."
Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Springfield, who is Long's predecessor in the House, agreed.
"I think Congressman Long and the other freshmen were exactly right," Blunt said. "We needed to keep the pledge that was made that we would immediately work to take $100 billion out of the budget."
RSC's clout
Long has cast almost 150 votes in his near two months in office. Most of the time, he has voted with his party. But he's broken with GOP leaders on at least a couple of occasions, both times to vote with the conservative Republican Study Committee, headed by Jordan.
The RSC is a caucus of conservative lawmakers dedicated to protecting individual and property rights, preserving traditional family values, a strong national defense, limited government and lower taxes.
With 176 members, or 73 percent of the total Republican conference, the group has considerable clout. Republican freshmen such as Long make up almost half of the RSC roster, accounting for 77 lawmakers. That gives the Republican freshmen class more power than freshmen lawmakers typically have.
They've gotten attention several times already for bucking their party's leadership.
In early February, two votes that GOP leadership had expected to pass -- one extending several Patriot Act provisions and the other asking for a repayment from the United Nations -- failed, due in large part to freshmen lawmakers.
Long, however, voted with his party leaders both times.
It was on two amendments to the spending bill that passed Feb. 19 that he diverged from leadership.
One amendment cut $450 million from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet alternate engine, which is being developed at a plant near House Speaker John Boehner's southwestern Ohio district.
Republican leaders, including Boehner, opposed the cut. The Pentagon said it did not want the alternate engine.
"I'm up there to do what I think is right and take a common sense approach to Washington," Long said. "I was lobbied on both sides of that joint strike fighter vote. Heavily. At the end of the day, it looked to me like it was a pretty easy decision for me to make, even though it was against the speaker's desires."
The other vote that went against some Republican leaders was an amendment from Jordan and the Republican Study Committee to cut an additional $22 billion in the spending bill, which would have brought government spending back to 2008 levels.
Republicans split over the issue, with some like longtime U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson taking to the floor to speak out against it.
"I realize it's a well-intentioned effort, but it goes too far," the Cape Girardeau Republican said.
Even members of the GOP leadership were divided over the issue: Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Republican Caucus Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, voted in favor of the amendment but House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., voted against the measure.
Long voted for that amendment, but it failed on a 147-281 vote.
Tea party watching
Missouri State University professor George Connor said this new class of freshmen Republicans is a force to be reckoned with.
"As much as the Republican leadership has tried to corral the freshmen, it is clear on a number of votes that the freshmen Republicans are chafing at that control," Connor said. "Congressman Long is part of that group. It may be that he has voted with leadership on this bill or that bill, but he hasn't voted with leadership on every bill."
Asked if he saw himself as more aligned with the tea party or the RSC, Long said the latter: "I'd say I'm more in line with the Republican Study Committee than any of the others."
Eric Farris of the Branson Tea Party Coalition said Long attended several of the coalition's events during the campaign.
Since he's taken office, Farris said he's sent Long a few e-mails, but they've had no meetings or discussions.
He said the coalition has no allegiance to any politician or party. At the moment, however, they support Long because he is pushing for spending cuts, which they support.
"We are really about principles," Farris said. "We see ourselves in a non-election year as a watchdog. If someone follows our principles, great. If they don't, we'll certainly let them know."
Connor of MSU said the reason Long hasn't identified as strongly with the tea party groups is that the ideals held by the tea party followers aren't really that different from the conservative ideals held by the majority of Long's constituents.
"The reason the tea party hasn't been as effective here is that we already are the tea party," Connor said.
Votes like the one Long cast to extend provisions of the Patriot Act may be in line with leadership, but they're also in line with what Long's conservative district would want, he said.
"Ultimately, when it comes down to protecting the security of the United States, people of the 7th District are going to support that and Billy Long recognizes that," Connor said. "But he's not just responding to what he thinks they want, he really believes that too."
Read the full story here
Malia Rulon, News-Leader, 2/26/2011