Wanted: Conservative members of Congress with expertise in healthcare, taxes and trade. Must fundraise well and be willing to endlessly debate Democrats. Plenty of openings available.

House Republicans are looking for more than a few good men and women to fill slots on arguably the most important committee in the lower chamber.

Last week, Ways and Means Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.) announced he will not seek another term. Other Republicans on the panel who are not seeking reelection include ranking member Jim McCrery (La.), Jim Ramstad (Minn.), Jerry Weller (Ill.), Kenny Hulshof (Mo.) and Ron Lewis (Ky.).

Republicans lost decades of experience when Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) retired at the end of the 109th Congress while Reps. Clay Shaw (R-Fla.) and Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) lost their reelection bids in 2006.

“It’s striking how big a generational shift it is,” said Ways and Means member Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.), now one of the more senior members on the panel.

While Republicans are looking for experience, Democrats have plenty of it. The top five Democrats on Ways and Means have more than 130 years of experience in Congress.

Democrats are hoping to move a slew of high-profile bills through Ways and Means next year, when they hope to have control of Congress and the White House.

English said the GOP retirements give the committee the opportunity to build a strong group of lawmakers who are “politically engaged and engaged on the policy end.”

“We need people to step in to fill Jerry Weller’s role in trade, we need someone to step into Jim Ramstad’s role as our advocate for insurance reform, to fill [roles] from the departure of Clay Shaw and Nancy Johnson who were policy heavyweights,” he said.

Ways and Means member Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said, “We are looking for doctors, for the healthcare issues, for people who know tax policy, for [members] with an aptitude in trade and economics.”

Rep. Tom Price (Ga.), one of several Republicans who have begun jockeying for a slot, thinks he could help cure part of the problem should he be selected for the committee.

“I bring in experience on healthcare that we sorely need,” the two-term lawmaker said, citing his career as a doctor.

Two Texans in their second terms have also expressed interest in a seat on Ways and Means.

As a certified public account, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) may have a slight advantage, given his role in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) accounting controversy. It was his expertise and insistence that an internal audit be performed earlier this year that exposed years of alleged fraudulent activity.

Asked if he believed that this discovery could give him an edge, Conaway demurred, “I hope it doesn’t hurt.”
Brian Thomas, a spokesman for Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas), said Ways and Means has always been the target committee for the former businessman, who spent 18 years in the Texas legislature.

Thomas added that Marchant enjoyed wide support from the Texas delegation when he ran for the post last fall.

Fundraising plays a large part in the selection of lawmakers for so-called “A” committees, a reality illustrated from the top of the panel down.

Reps. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) and Dave Camp (R-Mich.) picked up their fundraising significantly since announcing their intentions to run for the top GOP slot on the powerful panel.

Herger acknowledged the challenge to fill the committee he hopes to lead.

“We need a member that will [take on] the train wreck of entitlements [such as] the problems with Social Security and Medicare,” Herger said. “They will have to be willing to take that issue head on.”

Shortly after announcing his campaign in December 2007, Herger donated $250,000 to the NRCC. Camp subsequently gave $400,000 to the NRCC.

The House Republican Steering Committee will make its decisions on committee assignments after the 2008 elections.