Vulnerable GOP freshman added as Defense conferee

By Jeremy Herb - 12/08/11 10:30 AM ET

Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), a freshman lawmaker who knocked off 18-term Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) in 2010, was one of two House Transportation Committee members included as a conferee for the Defense authorization bill.

Most of the conferees for the Defense bill are from the Armed Services Committee, but the House added a handful of members from other committees, too. Cravaack is joining the Transportation Committee’s chairman, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.).

Being on the conference committee is a chance for Cravaack, a retired Navy pilot, to bolster his legislative credentials heading into his reelection bid.

After pulling off one of the biggest upsets in the 2010 cycle, Cravaack is viewed as a top target in the House for Democrats next year. Four Democrats — including Tarryl Clark, who lost to Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) in 2010 — are already running against him in what’s shaping up to be a competitive primary.

The conference committee held its first meeting Wednesday as the House and the Senate reconcile their Defense bills. The biggest issue surrounding the conference committee is the detention of terror suspects — the Senate’s bill drew a White House veto threat because it mandated military custody for al Qaeda members.