How much clout does our current delegation have in D. C.?

Bill Sniffin
Posted 6/15/17

Bill Sniffin column

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How much clout does our current delegation have in D. C.?

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As a long-time observer of our two U. S. Senators and one U. S. Congressperson, it would seem to me that today we have a chance to have more clout in Congress than ever before.

Senior Sen. Mike Enzi is one of the most effective bill-passers in the Senate and holds powerful positions.  He is widely respected and has been in Congress long enough that when he talks everyone listens.

Junior Sen. John Barrasso has chosen a path climbing up the power pole in the Senate and currently is the third-ranking senator behind majority leader and whip.

Our representative Liz Cheney is brand new but is already passing bills.  As daughter of a former vice president, she is already listed as one of the 30 most powerful Republican women in the country. 

So, could this be the most powerful trio in our history, when it comes to influence?

A third of a century ago, Wyoming had Senators Al Simpson and Malcolm Wallop plus Rep. Dick Cheney in place.  They were arguably the most influential trio during modern times.

So I asked Simpson, who is retired and lives in Cody, what he thinks?

“They have the potential to out-do us if they can get their own party’s problems resolved,” he says. “Back there, it is chaos. It is toxic. It is like sulphuric acid. It is unbelievable. Unless Republicans can get past social issue schisms in their own caucuses, they will never achieve their potential.

“It is valid to say to compare these folks with our team.  Cheney was third in leadership and I was second in the Senate. Wallop was carrying the ball for President Reagan for Star Wars.”

A somewhat different view came from Rodger McDaniel, a pastor and author in Laramie, who said:

“These three do indeed have the potential to be most effective, but it is a potential they show no sign of fulfilling. Instead they have devoted themselves entirely to partisanship.

“These three are quite a distance from the Gale McGee-Cliff Hansen-Teno Roncalio trio or the Wallop-Simpson-Cheney days, but then so is American politics.

“These three could help change the current dynamic if they decided to be genuinely bipartisan but John is tied to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s hip. Mike found out that bipartisanship was not welcomed in the current GOP. Mike once touted his ability to work with folks like Ted Kennedy. It’s been a long time since he mentioned his 80-20 theory. That stopped when Liz pounded him over the head during the 2014 primary for compromising with the Democrats.”

Former Lovell and Thermopolis newspaper publisher Pat Schmidt, now of Cheyenne, does not think the current group compares to some of the other trios.

“I’d put it somewhere in the Cliff Hansen- Teno Roncalio-Simpson—Gale McGee days when they accomplished so much. A high point was on the date they got through the increase in mineral royalty payments, which has put billions into the state’s coffers. That bunch had the ability to go across the aisle.

“Second I would put the Simpson-Wallop-Cheney trio up there. Despite all Republican, they worked across the aisle well. Simpson was a powerful Senate leader until archconservatives replaced him with Trent Lott. Cheney was close to the House speakership. Wallop was effective; just look at the 1981 Wallop-Breaux Act that is still benefitting outdoor recreation with a fee on the sale of sporting goods.

Going back to statehood, historian, author and attorney John Davis of Worland says: “Wyoming had vastly more clout when Francis E. Warren was a powerhouse in the U. S. Senate.”

Historian and University of Wyoming Professor Phil Roberts, of Laramie, is pessimistic: “They have no clout whatsoever. One never has clout if (s) he is a rubber-stamp. That’s why the only times Wyoming members had clout was when 1) they represented both parties; 2) they chose to work together on a Wyoming problem — not some esoteric ideologically-driven knee-jerk question. 3) They clashed with their own President when it was necessary.”

Publisher and former State Representative Dave Bonner of Powell echoes the same theme: “I would agree with the summation that there is unrealized potential in today’s trio. I would like to see Enzi’s serious approach to budgeting gain traction on both sides of the aisle.”

Based on some comments here, it appears that most agree Wyoming has an extraordinary opportunity in Congress right now with these three but the toxic atmosphere may very well leave most of their potential unrealized.

Check out Bill Sniffin’s columns at billsniffin.com. He is a longtime Wyoming journalist from Lander who has written six books, which are available at fine stores.  His latest is Wyoming at 125. His books are also available at wyomingwonders.com.