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Johnson's Staff to Take Over Duties as Session Begins    [

    Senator Tim Johnson to Lead Spending Subcommittee
    The Associated Press

    Friday 05 January 2007

    Washington - Sen. Tim Johnson won a coveted chairmanship of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Thursday, even though he is still in critical condition after emergency brain surgery last month.

    The South Dakota Democrat remains in intensive care after suffering a brain hemorrhage Dec. 13 and missed the opening day of the Senate.

    Johnson's office announced that he has been named chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. The senator "will lose none of his rights during his absence" and his office remains open for business, said spokeswoman Julianne Fisher.

    As chairman of the subcommittee, Johnson would be in a position to direct dollars to Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City and the state's National Guard facilities.

    "This new chairmanship speaks to his commitment to helping our nation's veterans and building a strong national defense," Fisher said.

    Condition update: Johnson remained in George Washington University Hospital on Thursday, and his office is preparing for his extended absence.

    His doctors said Wednesday that his recovery will include physical therapy and is expected to last several months.

    Fisher said it is unclear when he will return to the chamber or whether some of his therapy would take place after he returns.

    Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., said Thursday that she is optimistic for her colleague's full recovery.

    The delegation's three offices - including Republican Sen. John Thune's - will continue to cooperate on legislation that needs to be introduced for the best interest of South Dakota, she said.

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    Johnson's Staff to Take Over Duties as Session Begins
    By Peter Harriman
    The Argus Leader

    Thursday 04 January 2007

Long Senate absence likely.

    The U.S. Senate opens its 2007 session today with Sen. Tim Johnson in George Washington University Hospital recovering from brain surgery after a Dec. 13 hemorrhage.

    He will require at least several months of physical therapy before he can return to work, Johnson's spokeswoman Julianne Fisher said Wednesday.

    His absence might not be directly felt before spring. But as legislation is developed without the depth of insight and understated influence on policy Johnson customarily brought to the task, his empty seat in the Senate might loom large indirectly as Congress acts on issues important to the region and the country.

    Democrats Keep Power

    In the near term, the fact that Johnson is simply still a member of the Senate allows Democrats to maintain a majority, reorganize committees under their leadership and establish the legislative agenda.

    "The bottom line is his absence will have very little if any impact. It has nothing to do with the reorganization. In the end, you are still looking at 60 votes to pass anything of significance," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid. "We'll be able to deal with this, no problem."

    Bill Richardson, chairman of political science at the University of South Dakota, agrees that at least early this year, the Senate will come to grips with sweeping issues larger than any single senator. The Iraq War and a 2007 budget left over from the December lame duck session are the pressing concerns.

    "The question becomes how many of those priorities will be so close a vote by Johnson would make the difference, either in committee or on the floor?" Richardson said.

    Long-Term Concerns

    But as the year progresses, a continuing absence of Johnson's hand on the tiller might be felt more keenly by an array of constituents.

    "Obviously, Senator Johnson plays an extremely critical role in our funding, both with his seat on the appropriations committee and by being in the majority," said Troy Larson, executive director of the Lewis & Clark Rural Water System.

    Lewis & Clark supporters in Congress, including Johnson, waged battles in the past simply to get the project authorized and maintain construction funding.

    Time still is on their side, Larson said. President Bush is expected to release his 2008 budget in February. With that as a starting point, Congress typically develops its own budget in the summer and passes it in the fall.

    "The good news for us is the heavy lifting doesn't come until this summer. We wish Senator Johnson a speedy recovery, and hopefully he'll be able to participate in those discussions," Larson said.

    Dave Nomsen, vice president for government affairs for Pheasants Forever, said Johnson's insights will be missed as Congress develops a new farm bill this year. Chief among them, from Nomsen's perspective, is Johnson's philosophy that conservation and production agriculture should work in harmony.

    "He was a big help back in 2001 when we put the pilot wetlands program in place," Nomsen said. "That's been one of the little sleepers in terms of a success story. Not only did we do the right thing with wetlands and wildlife, we helped farmers with some of their areas that are difficult to farm."

    "You miss someone who's got that depth," said Ken Cook, executive director of the Environmental Working Group. "When they're not there asking these questions, raising these points, it makes a difference. He may not be the showiest advocate for conservation - he's a very laid-back guy - but he's enormously effective."

    Johnson in 2006 also advanced a proposal to give certainty to veterans health care by making it a recurring federal expense, and he promised to reintroduce the measure this year.

    "With a lot of people praying, he'll heal that much quicker, and I say to the veterans of South Dakota, 'Pray like the dickens,'" said Gene Murphy, South Dakota head of the Disabled American Veterans.

    Aid From an Ex-Foe

    Sen. John Thune, like Johnson, proposed mandatory veterans health care funding last year in a bill that died in the Senate Finance Committee after it was loaded down with amendments, Murphy pointed out. "I feel both of our senators have supported veterans' issues," he said.

    Indeed, Johnson, Thune and Rep. Stephanie Herseth emerged as a South Dakota Dream Team last year when they joined to help block a proposal to close Ellsworth Air Force Base and when they brought $1.3 billion in federal highway money and $250 million of other transportation projects to the state.

    To a degree, Thune can take up some of the legislative load while Johnson recovers, say Manley and others.

    "Our offices have had an exceptionally close working relationship since before Senator Johnson became ill, and we will continue to work together now as Senator Johnson recovers," said Kyle Downey, Thune's spokesman.

    "Senator Thune has instructed his staff to be as helpful as possible during this time, so the people of South Dakota will continue to receive the same strong representation in the Senate that they know and trust," he said.

    "Thune and Johnson were developing a very interesting relationship," Richardson said. "They were working quite closely together on issues crucial to the state."

    Larson, at Lewis & Clark, agrees Johnson and Thune "make a very good team, very hands-on."

    Staff Takes on Big Role

    Fisher takes a more measured tone about Thune's role in advancing legislation as Johnson recovers.

    "In one breath, it's great, helpful," she said. "But in another breath, Tim's working on coming back. There is some stuff he authored he cares about. He wants to push it himself. He doesn't want to give up ownership of it. We had a staff meeting prior to Tim falling ill. It dealt with the outlook (for 2007). We have a general sense of where Tim wanted to take things," she said.

    Observers agree Johnson's staff is not liable to be run roughshod by other members of Congress while he is away.

    "In the Senate, there's a congeniality and respect that you don't do that to somebody when they're out," Fisher said.

    A fair measure of that, in Johnson's case, falls from the high regard in which Johnson is held by other senators, according to Cook.

    "He had a huge impact on both bodies, partly because he listens," Cook said.

    A genuine quest to find consensus and a deep understanding of issues are Johnson's best assets as a legislator, Cook said.

    "In Washington, the opposite of talking is not listening. The opposite is waiting. That's not the way he operates," Cook said. "He listens, weighs arguments."