The News Journal
By Nicole Guidano
WASHINGTON -- After 100 days in office, Rep. John Carney of Delaware is more familiar than most Democrats with the challenges of life in the minority.
He isn't just a member of the minority party in the House, he's one of only nine Democratic freshmen.
They call themselves "the Noble Nine."
"When you're small, the inclination is for someone to make it an insignificant qualifier," he said of the nickname. "Noble suggests not something bold or large, but something kind of proud and upright."
Carney is learning his way around the House as Republicans, including 87 freshmen, work to move policy further to the right.
Carney knows that to get anything done, he needs Republican friends, so he works to forge relationships through his seat on the House Financial Services Committee, discussions at lunch and the gym, and his caucus memberships. Those include the National Guard Caucus, the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and New Democrat Coalition, a group that describes itself as moderate and for economic growth.
But making a name for himself could be difficult as House Republicans claim the spotlight.
"You have no seniority, you're in the minority party and there are only nine of you," said G. Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. "Where does that leave you when you're trying to get considered? You've got senior [Democratic] members who are fighting for every little thing they can get."
Like his predecessor, Republican Mike Castle, Carney appears to be moving toward the center, said Sam Hoff, a Delaware State University political science professor. And that could boost his influence when it comes to votes. "That fits Delaware quite well," Hoff said.
Votes for spending cuts
Carney has sided with his party on most votes. But he occasionally breaks ranks, as he did on two recent spending bills containing cuts some Democrats viewed as unacceptable. He was among 81 Democrats who voted Thursday to cut about $38 billion in spending for the remainder of fiscal 2011, which ends Sept. 30. In March, he was among 85 Democrats who helped pass a stopgap funding measure to keep the government from shutting down.
"I'm willing to make more cuts, frankly, than some of the Democrats in our caucus," he said.
That's not to say he isn't irked by some Republican tactics.
On April 7, when a government shutdown seemed likely, the typically even-tempered Carney left a caucus meeting visibly frustrated and ready to rant.
The fiscal 2011 spending issue, he said, "should have been put to bed weeks ago" so lawmakers could move on to the more difficult and significant issue of next year's budget. Republicans were trying to insert a "right-wing conservative social agenda" into the spending bill and creating "one more roadblock to doing the business we were sent here to do."
He paused to catch his breath.
"Everything else is fine," he said, laughing.
Close to other freshmen
Carney's strongest relationships in Congress so far may be with other members of the Noble Nine. The group meets regularly for dinner.
"You get a certain esprit de corps with just a small number," he said.
Group members have come to rely on one another's counsel, said Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., one of the nine. Others are David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Hansen Clark of Michigan, Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii, William Keeting of Massachusetts, Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, Terri Sewell of Alabama and Frederica Wilson of Florida.
"If you look at the [House] floor, we're often sitting together," she said. "It's not because we feel alienated. More than any reason, it's because we like each other."
But Carney spends a lot of time with Republican freshmen, too, partly because of his committee assignment. He's one of 14 freshmen on Financial Services, but the other 13 are Republicans.
Carney has pursued relationships with Republicans such as Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, an accountant who spoke authoritatively during committee discussions of derivatives. Carney arranged a lunch meeting with Renacci to discuss what he wants to accomplish and offer help.
Renacci called Carney "somebody that I know I can work with."
"We can sit down and debate, and maybe not agree on everything, but come up with some conclusions that are very similar," Renacci said. "We've got to get spending reduced, we've got to get our deficit reduced. And when we talked, we both had those same thoughts and agreements."
Winning a seat on Financial Services was no small feat for Carney. Because of the reduced size of all committees, Democrats were competing for only one vacancy.
In a Dec. 9 letter to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, Carney noted that the committee's work is of "paramount importance" to Delaware, home to 50 percent of publicly traded U.S. corporations, and the state where 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated.
"Having won in a district defined by its independent, centrist approach to representation ... serving on the Financial Services Committee will not only allow me to meaningfully represent constituents, but will also help position me for re-election in 2012," Carney wrote.
Delaware has been represented on the committee without interruption for more than three decades. Castle, a former committee member, said Carney's seat on the panel will allow him to watch for legislation that could threaten Delaware's business and corporate laws.
"It's very important, from a Delaware perspective," Castle said.
One Republican bill that Carney has co-sponsored would suspend proposed caps on what banks charge retailers each time a customer uses a debit card. Banks with credit card operations in Delaware say the caps would hurt their revenue.
Democratic Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons co-sponsored similar legislation in the Senate, but neither bill has advanced.
Carney has introduced two proposals as the lead sponsor. One would create a national park in Delaware. The other was an unsuccessful measure to eliminate $50 million for oil and gas research and development. President Barack Obama's proposed fiscal 2012 budget supported eliminating the oil and gas money, but the measure was opposed by 82 Democrats.
"My takeaway from that is that the oil and gas industry has a lot of people doing their bidding," Carney said. "It just kind f shows you what we're up against in terms of moving towards energy independence and in terms of addressing climate change."
Carney said it's too early in his tenure for him to say what his proudest achievements might be. He gives himself a "solid B" on job performance, noting that he's focused on working across the aisle, job creation and helping the business community.
"I think there's still a lot of work to do and I'm still learning," he said. "I'm a tough grader on myself, I think."
