House members’ rankings rise

March 9, 2008 at 12:15a.m.

Tim Ryan moved up 283 spots in the House ranking in two years.

YOUNGSTOWN —¬†Like “The Jeffersons,” the Mahoning Valley’s two U.S. House members are “movin’ on up.”

But instead of “a dee-luxe apartment in the sky,” U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, are moving up in an annual ranking of the most powerful members of Congress.

It was only two years ago that Ryan was ranked as the 422nd most powerful House member. There are 435 seats in the House.

The latest ranking on congress.org — a political Web site that compiles voting records of members of Congress — puts Ryan as the 139th most powerful House member. (His ranking last year was 179.)

What’s changed in two years?

Two years ago, Ryan was a second-year House member in the minority serving on the Armed Services, and the Education and Workforce Committees.

He now has another two years under his belt.

But more importantly, he is in the House majority and serves on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

“We hope we keep moving up because it means we’re bringing money back and doing good things in the district,” Ryan said. “I’m excited about that.”

Ryan’s high ranking is largely based on his seat on appropriations and that seat reflects “greater influence or longer tenure” than he has, according to the Web site.

Ryan is No. 4 among the 18 House members from Ohio and ninth among the 46 House members first elected in 2002.

Ryan’s district includes portions of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

Knowlegis, a Washington, D.C., nonpartisan company compiles the rankings with the assistance of political academic experts and congressional staff members.

Wilson, who’s finishing his first two-year term in the House, also made a huge leap in the ranking. He went from 290 last year to 179 this year.

Being in the majority and having seats on good committees —¬†science and technology, and financial services — are largely responsible for the ranking. Wilson is ranked sixth among the House members from Ohio and ninth among the 57 freshmen in the House.

“Hey, I’m moving on up,” Wilson said. “Seriously, I’m proud to be gaining ground on behalf of the people I represent in Ohio’s River Valley. The score is a reflection of my seat on the Financial Services Committee, the more than $6 million I was able to bring home to the district and the bills I’ve introduced in Congress.”

Wilson’s district includes all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County.

U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette of Concord Township, R-14th, was ranked 85th in 2005 and 2006. He was ranked 293 last year.

LaTourette is at 238 in the latest ranking largely because he’s a ranking member of a transportation subcommittee and successfully amended at least one bill on the House floor.

His district includes seven northern townships in Trumbull County.

Ohio’s two senators didn’t do too well in the latest survey.

U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich, a Republican, is ranked 95 out of 100 senators.

Even when Republicans controlled the Senate, Voinovich’s ranking was low; 71st in 2005 and 62nd in 2006.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat serving his first term in the Senate, moved up a bit; from No. 84 last year to 73.

In Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire of McCandless, D-4th, went from No. 290 last year to 245.

His district includes Lawrence County and a portion of Mercer County.

U.S. Rep. Phil English of Erie, Pa., R-3rd, who represents a portion of Mercer County, jumped to No. 163 in this survey from 281 last year. English is ranked as the most powerful House Republican in his state and No. 6 overall among 19 Pennsylvania members of the House.

The Web site placed English that high primarily because he is the ranking minority leader on a ways and means subcommittee. When Republicans were last in power in 2006, English was ranked 90th.

Even though U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter is a Republican, he is ranked as the 25th most powerful senator in the country.

The reasons listed are the Pennsylvania senator serves on the Appropriations Committee and is the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee.

U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, a Democrat, is No. 91 on the list because the freshman senator doesn’t have enough tenure and doesn’t serve on an influential committee.

skolnick@vindy.com