Democrats pledge moderation

Winning control of the House would mean new center-steering committee chairmen

WASHINGTON -- They're mostly a liberal bunch. Yet the would-be chairmen in a House under Democratic control promise to rule from the center. They'd have little choice, given the likely balance of power they would confront if elected.

George W. Bush would still occupy the Oval Office, and no one thinks Democrats could win control of the House next month by more than a few seats. And that would include three dozen or more moderate "blue dog" Democrats.

The dynamics ensure that despite the overwhelmingly liberal cast of the chairmen-to-be -- as measured by liberal interest groups such as Americans for Democratic Action -- the early agenda would consist of bills that could garner Republican support.

Those include legislation to raise the minimum wage, empower the government to negotiate lower prescription prices from drug companies for the Medicare program and end tax breaks for companies that move U.S. jobs overseas.

"If we do take back the House, there will certainly be a Republican president and there may well be a Republican Senate, so we're well aware of the constraints," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. "But I think there are some things that we can put out that will put some pressure on: minimum wage, negotiating with drug companies."

What won't be seen is any serious move to impeach Bush, even though the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, has introduced a bill calling on Congress to determine whether there are grounds for impeachment over the government's warrantless wiretapping program.

Conyers already has been overruled by Democratic leaders, including would-be Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who dismiss any talk of impeachment.

And there's no talk of gun-control measures -- anathema to the 40 or so pro-gun Democrats in the House -- nor even much speculation about steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions thought responsible for global warming. (Would-be Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., is a staunch supporter of his state's automobile manufacturers.)

Instead, the Democrats' "Six for '06" agenda is studded with items designed to attract broad support from Democrats and also win over plenty of Republicans. Besides the minimum wage, they include making college tuition tax deductible, boosting production of biofuels and improving military readiness.

Democrats do promise to use committee posts to step up oversight of the Bush administration. They would be likely to hold hearings into the conduct of the Iraq war, the National Security Agency's wiretapping program, Hurricane Katrina contracting abuses and the influence of industry lobbyists on environmental rulemaking.

"The biggest job is to see whether [Republicans] want to talk," said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., poised to grab the helm of the Ways and Means Committee, with its broad portfolio that includes taxes, trade, Social Security, Medicare and welfare. "If we win," he said, "it's only for two years. ... We really need their input and the bipartisanship if we're going to succeed."

THE HOUSE'S WOULD-BE COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN

Democrats positioned to become committee chairmen if their party should win back a majority in the House in November, and the GOP chairmen they would replace:

Agriculture: Collin Peterson, Minn.; Bob Goodlatte, Va.

Appropriations: David Obey, Wis.; Jerry Lewis, Calif.

Armed Services: Ike Skelton, Mo.; Duncan Hunter, Calif.

Budget: John Spratt, S.C.; Jim Nussle, Iowa.

Education and the Workforce: George Miller, Calif.; Howard McKeon, Calif.

Energy and Commerce: John Dingell, Mich.; Joe Barton, Texas.

Financial Services: Barney Frank, Mass.; Mike Oxley, Ohio.

Government Reform: Henry Waxman, Calif.; Tom Davis, Va.

Homeland Security: Bennie Thompson, Miss.; Peter King, N.Y.

House Administration: Juanita Millender-McDonald, Calif.; Vernon Ehlers, Mich.

Intelligence: Alcee Hastings, Fla., or Silvestre Reyes, Texas; Peter Hoekstra, Mich.

International Relations: Tom Lantos, Calif.; Henry Hyde, Ill.

Judiciary: John Conyers, Mich.; James Sensenbrenner, Wis.

Resources: Nick Rahall, W.Va.; Richard Pombo, Calif.

Rules: Louise Slaughter, N.Y.; David Dreier, Calif.

Science: Bart Gordon, Tenn.; Sherwood Boehlert, N.Y.

Small Business: Nydia Velazquez, N.Y.; Donald Manzullo, Ill.

Ethics: Howard Berman, Calif., or Alan Mollohan, W.Va.; Doc Hastings, Wash.

Transportation and Infrastructure: James Oberstar, Minn.; Don Young, Alaska.

Veterans Affairs: Bob Filner, Calif.; Steve Buyer, Ind.

Ways and Means: Charles Rangel, N.Y.; Bill Thomas, Calif.

Nussle, Oxley, Hyde, Boehlert and Thomas are retiring.