University of Virginia Library

Avoid Rivalries

But they will nevertheless propose
that their Committee on Committees
(which names committee
members) nominate chairman and
that the GOP Conference (the Republican
caucus) elect them.

Their object, according to Republican
sources, is to avoid potential
intra-committee leadership
rivalries which would likely occur if
committees nominated and elected
their own chairmen.

It is certain, however, that both
parties will continue to elect chairman
on a seniority basis — because
seniority does usually bring with it
great Parliamentary and substantive
expertise and because seniority is a
valuable House reward.

It is unlikely, then, that many
committee chairmanships will
change hands.

For the threat of being voted
out of a chairmanship will probably
be enough pressure to force any
otherwise deviant chairman into
step with his party.

When the GOP Task Force produces
its reform recommendations
House Republicans are equally
likely to adopt them — because of
their party homogeneity and for
two other reasons:

First, an unusually large number
of Republicans are themselves of
low seniority. For in the 1964
debacle, as one member said, "the
Goldwater thing cut away a lot of
our dead wood." This pruning and
the large GOP gains in 1966 and 68
make more than one of every three
Republicans only a freshman or
sophomore.

Which, in turn, means that fully
a third of the Republican House
membership has felt only the sting
and none of the benefits of the
present seniority system.