The Speaker’s Revenge

Del. L. Preston Bryant (R-Lynchburg) is losing his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, according to the Washington Post. Some see it as House Speaker Bill Howell’s revenge for Bryant’s ;leadership of “the gang of 17” Republicans who supported the tax hikes last year.

Howell might want to consider who’s ox he’s goring.

"It is a move reflective of a man who is worried about holding on to his position of power and has to make a move to satisfy the far right," said James Hazel, co-chairman of a political action committee whose mission is to support the Republican moderates.

"The speaker must think that the business community is naive in the extreme to believe that this is not a move based on retribution," said Hazel, a Republican business executive and former Warner policy adviser.

The Leadership for Virginia PAC was formed to support delegates like Bryant. He’ll undoubtedly get their dollars if the GOP presents a primary competitor. The more interesting question will be the PAC’s role in elections pitting a Democrat against an incumbent anti-tax Republican.

And it’s not the first vengeful move by the speaker; nor is Bryant the only victim.

Shortly after the assembly finished its bitter 115-day session in May, Howell kicked Bryant off the Joint Commission on Health Care. Dumped from the same commission was Del. S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, who also was a leader in the revolt against the House leadership.

Del. G. Glenn Oder, R-Newport News, lost his seat on the Virginia Housing Commission. Oder too voted for the tax-increase compromise and had written a newspaper column promoting higher taxes Gov. Mark R. Warner, a Democrat, sought to meet needs in education, health care and law enforcement.

And you’ve got to wonder what respect is given the chairman of the Appropriations committee.

The dropping of Bryant had been rumored for weeks, but some delegates seemed surprised. Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr., R-Fairfax, chairman of the budget panel, apparently learned of the Bryant departure yesterday after being called by a reporter.

"Preston is a very valuable member of the Appropriations Committee and I'd like him to stay," he said.

"You need a certain amount of discipline, but in this case the Speaker has made a public statement that there would be no recrimination," Callahan said. "That's always the best policy, conciliation rather than recrimination."

Howell told delegates in the spring that he would not punish them for supporting the tax increase. Later, after he booted Bryant and Jones from a health-care commission, the Speaker clarified that he was not punishing them for their tax vote but for "other things," which he declined to enunciate.

Bryant's departure chagrined senior members of the budget committee.

Del. J. Paul Councill Jr., D-Southampton, described Bryant as "a moderate, middle-of-the-road member."

"I hate to see him slapped around like that," Councill said. "I hate to see some of these people who try to use good common sense and act with something other than politics in mind get treated like this. It's part of the problem we have up there."