HOUSE

If Republicans take over the House in January, John Boehner of Ohio would become the 61st speaker. His leadership team would likely include Eric Cantor of Virginia as majority leader, Mike Pence of Indiana as majority whip, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington as GOP Conference chairwoman. Here are some other pivotal players:

Key Chairmen

In line to chair the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Darrell Issa of California insists that his chief goal would not be to hold lots of "gotcha" hearings aimed at embarrassing the Obama White House. He says he wants to double the watchdog panel's investigative staff to unearth government waste and inefficiencies. "We're so large in government, if I had 200 investigators and I assigned one to every multibillion-dollar program, I'd run out of investigators before I ran out of multibillion-dollar programs," Issa says.

Republicans in both chambers cite Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the Budget Committee chairman-in-waiting, as a serious policy thinker and future party leader. He says that if he were crafting the 2012 budget, his top priority would be simple: "We would stop the spending spree."

Peter King of New York, the prospective head of the Homeland Security Committee, would lead GOP efforts to confront the Obama administration on terrorism matters. "The overall issue which has to be decided is, is the administration going to treat Islamic terrorism as a law-and-order issue or as a military issue?" King says.

Right And Center Chiefs

Tom Price of Georgia heads the 115-member conservative bloc known as the Republican Study Committee. A YouTube aficionado, he has sought to boost ties with grassroots activists on the right.

Price's predecessor at the RSC, conservative Jeb Hensarling of Texas, has become a trusted go-to guy, garnering Boehner appointments to the congressional oversight panel on the bank and auto bailouts and to the president's debt commission.

Members of the moderate Tuesday Group have been led in this Congress by Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, one of the 34 House Republicans who represent districts that President Obama carried in 2008.

Another moderate to watch is Dave Reichert of Washington, who represents the Seattle suburbs and has been one of the few Republicans willing to support key Obama agenda items this year.

Up-And-Comers

Greg Walden of Oregon is making his mark this year as deputy chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and as Boehner's newly appointed chairman of the House Republican leadership.

Kevin McCarthy of California is also wearing several hats this year, including serving as the candidate recruiter for the NRCC and as head of Boehner's team crafting a Contract With America-style platform for 2010.

Freshman Jason Chaffetz of Utah has honed his new-media savvy, a critical tool for GOP efforts to engage the party base. He can be found tweeting on Twitter and offering "Cot-Side Chats" on YouTube from the foldaway bed in his Capitol Hill office.

At least 10 physicians in the House GOP can counter the administration's health care efforts with their own expertise, including Michael Burgess of Texas, who set up a health care caucus to explore policy alternatives.

Rabble-Rousers

Jeff Flake of Arizona is a dogged anti-earmarker and institutional reformer who was not afraid to challenge his party's leadership when Republicans previously held the House majority.

Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a "tea party" darling, incites liberal ire with her regular cable TV appearances and her public-relations efforts, such as the "Declaration of Health Care Independence" she has urged Obama to sign.

Libertarian-minded John Duncan of Tennessee is one of several House Republicans who have been passed over for chairmanships because of their unorthodoxy. He recently joined four GOP colleagues in backing a U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan.

Potential White House Hopefuls

Ron Paul of Texas has been exciting his uniquely rabid base of libertarians and might repeat his well-funded if quixotic 2008 bid in 2012.

Among the party leadership, Mike Pence is well regarded by social conservatives and is respected for his down-to-earth communication style. Eric Cantor generated buzz as a 2008 vice presidential possibility and has kept his name in the mix as a national party spokesman.

SENATE

If Republicans take over the Senate in January, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky would become majority leader. His leadership team would likely include Jon Kyl of Arizona as majority whip and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee as GOP Conference chairman. Here are some other pivotal players:

Key Chairmen

As Appropriations Committee chairman, Thad Cochran of Mississippi would vigorously defend Congress's power of the purse. He would likely cross swords with others in his party more intent on making good on GOP pledges to slash federal spending.

Charles Grassley of Iowa would wield the gavel at the Judiciary Committee. He is a stickler for congressional prerogatives and voted against Sonia Sotomayor, Obama's first Supreme Court pick.

The new chief at Finance, the powerful tax and entitlement committee, would be Orrin Hatch of Utah. Although he was once known as a willing deal-maker, he has thus far found few reasons to work with Democrats during the Obama era.

Right And Center Chiefs

Jim DeMint of South Carolina, who once predicted that health care reform would be Obama's "Waterloo," leads the conservative Republican Steering Committee. Lately, he has been urging his colleagues to follow the House GOP's lead in imposing a moratorium on earmarks.

Centrist Olympia Snowe of Maine is considered one of the likeliest GOP supporters for some of Obama's initiatives, and she isn't shy about chiding her own caucus to look for bipartisan ways to solve national problems. "Practicality has to rule the day," she told National Journal. But even she soured on the Democrats' approach to health care.

Deal-Makers

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the vice chairwoman of the Senate GOP Conference, has pushed for a compromise with Democrats on energy legislation at the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "I would like to see it advance this year, just because I think it's a good product and a good bill," she told NJ.

Bob Corker of Tennessee and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have both proven their willingness to cross party lines in search of compromises. Corker has concentrated on financial reform; Graham has made himself a player on energy, immigration, and the adjudication of suspected terrorists. "I'm trying to focus on a policy that's a good policy," Corker explained.

If Obama wants a bipartisan education bill, he could look to briefcase-toting conservative Michael Enzi of Wyoming, who is in line to chair the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Enzi says he tries to follow his own "80/20" advice: Senators should focus on the 80 percent of issues on which differences can be worked out instead of belaboring the 20 percent that are out of reach.

Wild Cards

Tom Coburn of Oklahoma relishes his "Dr. No" reputation and argues at every turn for smaller, less-intrusive government. From the thickets of amendments he files to the holds he places on pending floor business, Coburn is happiest using Senate procedures to lay down conservative markers.

The party's unsuccessful 2008 presidential nominee, John McCain of Arizona, has become more loyal to GOP positions since Obama's election. But would McCain's maverick streak resurface if he finds himself again in a Republican majority?

Richard Shelby of Alabama looks out for his home-state interests, even if it means holding up presidential nominees. His conservative populist approach to banking issues has made him a staunch critic of the administration's response to the financial crisis.

Potential White House Hopefuls

John Thune of South Dakota, who chairs the Republican Policy Committee, has been eyed as White House material since he entered the Senate in 2004 with fellow freshman Obama.

Scott Brown of Massachusetts has disappointed conservatives with some of his early votes. But the former state senator's rapid rise to national prominence and his instant promise to pen a memoir have fueled unavoidable comparisons to Obama's own ascent.


To view the original article, click here.