V19, N2 Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013 Indiana delegation regaining lost clout Sophomores, freshman chair subcommittees, head class, beginning to see bills pass in House By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – It wasn’t too long ago that the talk was of Indiana’s diminished congressional delegation after a hemorrhage of seniority. In just two cycles in 2010 and 2012, with the retirement of U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh and the primary defeat of U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, 48 years of senior- ity went by the wayside in the upper chamber. And with the retirements of U.S. U.S. Sen. Dan Coats (left) and U.S. Rep. Todd Young are waging serious efforts for a Reps. Steve Buyer (18 years) and Dan budget “grand bargain” and tax reform. U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks chairs a House subcom- Burton (30 years), the defeats of U.S. mittee as a freshman and former opponents - Rep. Jackie Walorski and Sen. Joe Donnelly Reps. Baron Hill (10 years), Brad Ells- - are working on the military sexual assault issue. worth (six), the scandal-induced resig- nation of U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (15 years), and Rep. Mike U.S. Sen. Dan Coats has become a pivotal player in the Pence’s decision to run for governor after 12 years, there Senate as part of the Republican “Diner’s Club” trying to went another 91 years of seniority, or a total of 139 years forge a deal with President Obama on the budget. Three for the entire delegation in just two election cycles. members of the Class of ‘10 – Todd Young, Todd Rokita But the delegation appears to be making a rapid recovery when it comes to the restoration of clout. Continued on page 3 Why governing is difficult By LEE HAMILTON BLOOMINGTON - If you want to know why passing congressional legislation has gotten so difficult, here are two numbers to remember: 5 and 532. They illustrate a “Dwayne’s professional great deal about Congress today. When I served in the background, experience in public House decades ago and the “farm bill” service, strong character and came up, stitching a successful piece of legislation together depended on involvement in the Republican getting five organizations to find com- mon ground. They included groups Party make him the best choice to like the national Farm Bureau and serve as Auditor.” the Farmers Union, and our task was clear: get them to agree on what the - Gov. Pence on Dwayne Sawyer HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013 bill ought to look like, and we had a that once helped enforce discipline measure that could pass. can no longer do so, since politicians This year, Congress is strug- these days often identify themselves gling to get a farm bill through. After with outside groups like the Tea Party the House of Representatives sent the rather than with their political party. is a non-partisan newsletter first version down to defeat, no fewer With the rise of Super PACs, neither based in Indianapolis and than 532 organizations signed a letter congressional leaders nor political to Speaker John Boehner asking him parties have as much influence over Nashville, Ind. It was founded to bring a bill back to the floor as soon fundraising — and hence the “loyalty” in 1994 in Fort Wayne. as possible. The array of groups was it once imposed — as they used to. It is published by striking. The Farm Bureau signed on, To make matters worse, many WWWHowey Media, LLC but so did avocado growers and peach members — especially in the Republi- 405 Massachusetts Ave., canners, beekeepers and archers, can Party, though it’s not limited to the conservationists of all sorts, and huge GOP’s side of the aisle — do not like Suite 300 businesses like Agri-Mark. to compromise. As I suggested at the Indianapolis, IN 46204 In essence, the big umbrella beginning, compromise is at the heart groups have broken into different con- of the farm bill. For the last 50 years, Brian A. Howey, Publisher stituent interests, with peanut growers it’s been put together by joining crop Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington and sheep ranchers and specialty-crop support and nutrition support — food growers all pursuing their particular stamps — in order to win the votes of Jack E. Howey, Editor goals. Sometimes it feels like there’s a both rural and urban lawmakers. And Mary Lou Howey, Editor constituency for every commodity — within the rural sections of the bill, Maureen Hayden, Statehouse and on such broader issues as biofu- wheeling and dealing on the specifics Matthew Butler, Daily Wire els, rural development and internation- has been the only way to generate al trade. What used to require bringing legislation that farm-state legislators together a handful of constituencies could all agree upon. Now that for- Subscriptions now demands horse-trading among mula is broken, though I do believe an $599 annually hundreds. accommodation will be worked out. Ray Volpe, Account Manager Not every major piece of But the problems go beyond ' 317.602.3620 legislation before Congress is so that, and it’s not bad that the usual complicated, but the farm bill is a inertia on the farm bill has found email: [email protected] perfect example of how tough it has difficult going. The country needs to become to get a major bill through, confront basic questions about the $16 Contact HPI with so many competing interests and billion annual subsidy and heavy trade www.howeypolitics.com so much money at stake. Everything protection accorded to agriculture — on Capitol Hill’s plate this year — from when fewer than 1% of Americans [email protected] immigration reform to gun control to are farmers and farming has become 'Howey’s Cabin: 812.988.6520 the upcoming debt ceiling fight — re- a hugely corporate industry. Likewise, 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 quires legislative language that a wide with one in six Americans now re- 'Washington: 202-256-5822 array of interest groups can agree to. ceiving food stamps, we need a real This would be daunting but attainable debate about the food stamp program, 'Business Office:317.602.3620 if Congress operated the way it once which makes up 80 percent of the cost did. But it doesn’t. of the bill. In other words, we’re not © 2013, Howey Politics Indiana. For what the farm bill’s getting what we actually need, which All rights reserved. Photocopy- travails also illustrate is that Congress is a real policy debate on the role ing, Internet forwarding, fax- is now a legislatively challenged insti- of the government in agriculture. If ing or reproducing in any form, tution. The leaders on the Hill have Congress were working properly, this fewer tools of persuasion than they might have been possible. Increas- whole or part, is a violation of once did. They abolished “earmarks,” ingly, I fear it’s beyond Capitol Hill’s federal law without permission so they can no longer promise a reach. v from the publisher. v bridge or a road to secure a member’s Lee Hamilton is Director of the vote, and they carry less respect and Center on Congress at Indiana political clout. The political parties University. HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013 American system. With this in mind, it is imperative that Congress, from page 1 liberty-minded Americans support the newly re-introduced REINS Act.” and Marlin Stutzman – are now on influential finance- and “All legislative powers herein granted shall be money-related committees. vested in a Congress of the United States,” reads Article I, Young is an emerging member of the powerful Section I, of the U.S. Constitution. Ways & Means Committee, where he is playing a key role in Young and Sen. Donnelly have initiated legislation revising the U.S. tax code. He also introduced the Regula- that would essentially begin the “tweaking” process of the tions from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, Affordable Care Act, with tandem legislation that would with 121 co-sponsors. The bill passed the House on Aug. 2 change the threshold of part-time workers and the 50-em- by a 232-to-183 vote. Originally introduced by former Rep. ployee limits for small employers. “I am looking to improve Geoff Davis (R-KY), the REINS Act would require any rule and replace components of the ACA,” Young said, although or regulation with an economic impact of $100 million or he does back a repeal. more – already scored and identi- fied by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget as a ‘major regulation’ – come before Congress for an up-or-down vote before taking effect. It passed the House overwhelmingly in the 112th Congress, but never received a hearing in the Senate. “Congress has a tendency to pass vague, sweeping legisla- tion that delegates the respon- sibility of writing the rules of the U.S. Rep. Todd Young with Indiana and Indianapolis Chamber officials John Thompson and Cam game to federal agencies,” said Carter on Monday, pushing his tax reform issue. Below, U.S. Reps. Marlin Stutzman has moved Young. “When those agencies the farm bill split issue, and Larry Bucshon heads a House subcommittee on science. (HPI Photo end up writing regulations that by Brian A. Howey) harm the economy or that our constituents don’t like, too often we point the blame at ‘unelected bureaucrats.’ By requiring Donnelly is sponsoring a bill with Sen. Susan Col- a vote from Congress before major regulations could take lins, R-Me., that would make 40 hours a week a full-time effect, we ensure that Americans can hold their elected worker, not 30 hours as stipulated in the ACA.