Retired U.S. Rep Doc Hastings will assess House Speaker McCarthy at next Badger Club | Opinion

Former Republican congressman Doc Hastings was scheduled to speak to the Columbia Basin Badger Club on April 13, just as negotiations were finally getting underway to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a first-ever default on the national debt. We wanted to get his take on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership prospects after it took fifteen votes to elect him as Speaker. It was the first time a speaker had not been elected on the first ballot since 1859.

Unfortunately, Hastings was forced to cancel at that time due to a minor medical emergency. He has graciously agreed to reschedule his appearance to Thursday, June 22. The virtual event begins at noon.

A lot has happened since April. McCarthy was able to successfully negotiate an agreement with President Biden to avert a default on the debt and to raise the debt limit. The deal was opposed by partisans on both sides of the isle, but finally approved by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans at the last moment. The success in reaching that agreement seemed to signal that McCarthy’s speakership was safe, but since then, the far-right Freedom Caucus has managed to disrupt minor procedural votes in the House and continues to challenge McCarthy’s leadership. We have asked Hastings to analyze the dynamics of new Congress and to assess Speaker McCarthy’s prospects as Speaker.

Hastings knows McCarthy well. He was elected to Congress from California in 2006. Hastings was a member of his whip team when McCarthy served as the Republican Majority Whip. In my book, Congressman Doc Hastings, there is a story about how McCarthy praised Doc’s skill as a politician.

McCarthy had a dinner group ― a diverse selection of older and younger members, along with some committee chairs ― which met periodically to touch base about the mood and potential strategy of the Republican conference. It fell to McCarthy to pay for it, and he noted that, somehow (referring to Doc), they always ended up drinking Washington instead of California wines.

Doc Hastings represented Washington’s 4th Congressional District, which includes the Tri- Cities, from 1995 to 2015. Born and raised in Pasco, he graduated from Pasco High School and attended Columbia Basin College and Central Washington University. Hastings served in the Washington Legislature from 1979 to 1987, serving as Assistant Majority Leader and chair of the Republican caucus.

In 1992 he was narrowly defeated for Congress by current Washington Governor Jay Inslee. Two years later, the two squared off again with Hastings winning the congressional seat he held until he retired in 2015. An outspoken supporter of Ronald Reagan, Hastings was elected in what became known as the “Gingrich Revolution” of 1994.

He became a close associate of Speakers Dennis Hastert and John Boehner and achieved the highly unusual distinction of chairing two different House committees; Ethics and Natural Resources. He served in Congress during the budget crisis of 2011.

He also served 12 years on the Rules Committee which determines which legislation will reach the House floor and how it will be debated.

We have asked former Congressman Hastings to address a several important issues, including:

▪ What are the political implications of Speaker McCarthy’s ability to reach a compromise with President Biden on averting a debt crisis?

▪ Did it hurt or strengthen his ability to lead his Republican conference, or is his leadership still at risk?

▪ Do he sense any momentum across the country that suggests a greater willingness to compromise on important issues.

▪ Is bipartisanship even possible? Or desirable?

▪ How will President Trump’s potential indictment affect the ongoing work of Congress?

Table Talk, the Badger Club’s open mic conversation with others who have watched the forum will follow. This gives members and guests a chance to share their own ideas and interact less formally with the speaker.

To register for this forum, visit our website at columbiabasinbadgers.com to receive a confirmation and link to join the Zoom forum. Cost is $5 for nonmembers, while club members can join for free.

C. Mark Smith is chairman of the program committee for the Columbia Basin Badger Club. He spent 40 years managing economic development organizations at the federal, state, and local level. He is the author of five books of history and biography, including “Congressman Doc Hastings: Twenty Years of Turmoil,” available online or at your favorite bookseller.