Congress

Hutchison followup

To follow up on a note last week about Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s long-term plans, the newspaper The Politico reported today that Hutchison will not seek the No. 3 position among Senate Republicans, in part because she had, in the paper’s words, “alienated her conservative colleagues in recent months and endangered her chances of moving up the GOP ranks.” She will retain her current No. 4 position as chair of the Republican Policy Committee in the Senate.

One factor that also weighed against Hutchison, and is of relevance here, is that she apparently plans to leave the Senate well before the end of her current term in 2012 in order to run for governor of Texas. That election isn’t until 2010, but she may leave the Senate even earlier in order to run her campaign:

Hutchison has already publicly announced that she’s not seeking reelection in 2012.

And she has repeatedly declared her interest in running for governor of Texas in 2010, meaning that she could leave the Senate as early as 2009 to conduct a gubernatorial campaign.

Also from the article:

Another Republican senator questioned why Hutchison “is running for leadership when she is leaving in 2009. She’s at a big disadvantage, because everyone knows she’s going to leave the Senate.”

Depending on exactly when in 2009 she decides to leave the Senate—if in fact that’s what she decides to do—that means only two more years of time left in the Senate, at most, for her to win additional funding for NASA for her major concerns (like closing the Shuttle-Constellation gap) or take other steps to influence Congressional space actions.

3 comments to Hutchison followup

  • anonymous.space

    “Depending on exactly when in 2009 she decides to leave the Senate—if in fact that’s what she decides to do—that means only two more years of time left in the Senate, at most, for her to win additional funding for NASA for her major concerns”

    I wouldn’t bet on it, based on her 0 for 2 record in securing an additional $1 billion in Constellation funding two years running.

    “(like closing the Shuttle-Constellation gap)”

    A nit, but the $2 billion that Hutchison vowed in the last hearing to go after next year won’t close the gap. At best, that money will shrink the gap from five to three years. And per Griffin’s testimony, that $2 billion is only through 2010. Additional billions are likely needed in 2011, 2012, and 2013 just to maintain the three-year gap.

    FWIW…

  • Anonymous, while accurate, I don’t think her statement is fair. She did try.

    A more telling critique, I think, is the fact that she is quitting the Senate, where she can have an influence on national space policy, for a local position where she can advance her political career but where she will have little influence on spaceflight. It may not be fair, but I can’t help thinking that’s the measure of her interest and dedication . . .

    — Donald

  • anonymous.space

    “I don’t think her [that?] statement is fair. She did try.”

    There’s realistic and effective lobbying strategies that are built around carefully scrubbed budget numbers and that involve a lot of shoe-pounding and one-on-one time with decisionmakers. And then there’s unrealistic and empty-handed gestures that grab round numbers out of thin air and make calls for a White House space summit that no one thinks will get answered. I’d argue that the $1 billion sideshow has been more of the latter, than the former. Although it’s something to put in the Senator’s mailings to JSC voters back home, it’s not much a of “try”.

    My 2 cents… FWIW.

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