Gibbons hopes for Appropriations seat

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, Nov. 9, 2000 | 10:52 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., is eyeing a seat on the money-doling House Appropriations Committee.

Congressional leaders soon will make decisions about shifts in committee assignments for next session, which begins in January. Gibbons, who now sits on the Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, Resources and Select Intelligence Committees, is making a pitch for an Appropriations seat.

The committee is considered powerful because it has jurisdiction over roughly one-third of the federal budget -- $538 billion last year. The rest of the federal budget is automatically allocated to annual programs such as welfare, Medicare and Social Security.

Committee members funnel money to a host of projects relating to transportation, defense, energy, water and lands, for example.

A post on the committee would put Gibbons in a position to steer more cash to Nevada.

"Whatever decision we make must be a decision based on what is best for Nevada," Gibbons said.

Competition for a seat on the 60-member committee is fierce. But Gibbons said he had a "good shot" at securing a spot. Gibbons will meet again with Republican House leaders Sunday or Monday to talk it over.

Gibbons, 55, a Vietnam and Gulf War veteran pilot, would have to give up seats on Armed Services and Veterans Affairs.

"It doesn't mean I'd give up my dedication to those issues," Gibbons said.

Gibbons this week cruised to an easy election win and will start his third two-year term.

It's not yet clear which committee memberships newly elected Republican senator John Ensign will be given. Republican leaders likely will make the decisions after Dec. 5, when party officers are elected.

Ensign was relaxing with family and could not be reached for comment Wednesday, campaign aide Pete Ernaut said.

Nevada's second House member, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., elected on Tuesday to her second term, said she will not change committees next year. She sits on the Small Business, Veterans Affairs and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees. All three handle issues critical to her Las Vegas-area district, she said.

"I'd like to start gathering some seniority by maintaining my seats on those committees," Berkley said.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who sits on the Appropriations, Environment & Public Works, Indian Affairs, Select Ethics and Special Aging Committees, will not be changing posts.

Reid is the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. Reid also is Senate minority whip, the No. 2 ranking Democrat on the floor.

Reid's days will be busy in the next session trying to broker compromises and battle through partisan bickering in a newly elected Senate with 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats (if Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash, defeats Democrat Maria Cantwell. The winner in that race may not be determined for at least two weeks). The current Senate has 55 Republicans and 45 Democrats.

"I would hope that the atmosphere would be one where the Republicans realize they have to come to work every day," Reid said.

"They have to realize that the reason they lost four or five seats is because of what they have done in the past. They have to come and work past 6 at night sometimes and work more than four days or three days a week. We're going to have to earn our money."