Baton Rouge Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy is on track to become the state’s senior senator in January 2017 if fellow U.S. Sen. David Vitter does not seek re-election, says Jeremy Alford in his latest column.
Gone will be Vitter’s 18 years experience in both the House and Senate, making Cassidy one of Louisiana’s longest serving politicians in the U.S. Capitol and continuing a recent trend of the state’s Congressional leaders having shortened careers in Washington D.C., Alford says.
“There’s no doubting Cassidy can handle the load, but it’s a far cry from the time when our elected D.C. surrogates spent decades building careers on Capitol Hill,” Alford writes, remembering the days when Russell Long spent in 39 years in the Senate, J. Bennett Johnston served 25 years, Mary Landrieu spent 18 years before leaving and so did John Breaux, following a 15-year stint in the House.
Also from the lower chamber, Billy Tauzin chalked up 25 years, and Jim McCrery and Richard Baker spent 21 years each in Washington representing Louisiana, Alford says.
Cassidy would reach the age of 94 before he could match Long’s tenure in the Senate, Alford says.
“For lobbyists and others who depend on long-term relationships with elected officials, it must be like changing dates on the night of the prom,” Alford says. “For bureaucrats in state government who need consistent lines to federal contracts and pots of money, it’s an excruciating waiting game. But for fans of term limits, it surely seems like a dream come true.”
However, the shortened stints do not mean Louisiana’s representation is not ascending the ladder to leadership positions. Look no further than Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, for proof, Alford says.
“Scalise was sworn in just seven years ago and took over the third most powerful position in the entire chamber in 2014. He is on a career track in Congress and helps offset any serious concerns about the loss of Louisiana’s clout in D.C.,” Alford writes. “Nonetheless, it’s clear our congressional members are serving shorter terms than any other time in recent memory. Within the last eight years, Louisiana has turned over every House seat, has had two congressmen whose terms can be counted in months and another two congressmen who have served a single term and one and a half terms, respectively.”
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
