The Republican Steering Committee might consider next year whether to grant Rep. Paul Ryan a term-limits waiver as Budget chairman in the next Congress.
A wide array of Republican sources were dismissive of Mica obtaining a waiver to stay on as chairman.
If the question is the transportation panel, a waiver for Mica could trigger the wrath of Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), for whom the term-limits issue is personal.
In 2001, Shuster’s father, former Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), was denied a waiver to stay on as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Republicans faced a similar issue then as they do now. The late Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) wished to stay on as Judiciary chairman. He had a high profile thanks to his role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, and he lobbied then-Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and the Steering Committee for a waiver.
But then-Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) pushed against a waiver for Hyde, fearing it would open the door for a waiver for others, including Bud Shuster.
In the end, no one received a waiver, and Shuster resigned.
Now, more than 11 years later, Bill Shuster is in a position to make a play for Mica’s gavel.
“Committee Chairmanships are decisions for the Steering Committee and Leadership to consider,” Shuster said in a statement. “Right now, my focus is on working with Chairman Mica and the House conferees to pass a strong transportation bill.”
Three other GOP chairmen face term limits at the end of this Congress: Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (Texas), Financial Services Chairman Spencer Bachus (Ala.) and Science, Space and Technology Chairman Ralph Hall (Texas).
None is expected to push for waivers.
The list of Republicans who have obtained waivers is short.
Ohio Gov. and former Rep. John Kasich was granted a waiver in 1999 to stay on as Budget chairman. Former Rep. Porter Goss (Fla.) was granted a waiver to remain Intelligence chairman in 2004.
Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.) became chairman of the Rules Committee in 1999, but that slot, viewed as an extension of the leadership team, is appointed by the Speaker rather than elected by the Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee, composed of a mix of leadership, committee chairmen, rank and file, and freshmen, will decide the fates of Ryan, Mica and the other chairmen. Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) gets four votes and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) has two. The other members get one vote. A Boehner spokesman declined to comment.
Joshua Miller and Ryan Kelly contributed to this report.
Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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