Influential conservative publication urges GOP to ‘Keep Sessions as Budget Chairman’

The editors of the influential conservative publication National Review are urging Senate Republicans to keep Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as the chairman of the Budget Committee when they take control of the Senate in January.

Until last week, it was widely assumed that Sessions would chair the powerful committee. After all, Sessions has been the top Republican on the panel for the last several years, serving as the ranking member.

But in a surprising development, Republican Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming now appears poised to nudge Sen. Sessions out of the way and take the chairmanship for himself.

RELATED: Sessions may get nudged out of Budget chairmanship. Here’s what you need to know

Sessions and Enzi came into the Senate in the same year, but Enzi has more seniority on the Budget Committee by virtue of a random drawing, and seniority has historically been the most important factor in determining chairmanships in the Senate.

Sessions and Enzi are, by all accounts, genuinely close friends, and Enzi was expected to takeover atop the Health Committee, where he has focused his efforts over the last several years, much like Sessions has on the Budget Committee.

Speculation has swirled as to the real reason behind Enzi’s move. Many conservatives have pointed the finger directly at Senate GOP leadership, who they believe wants to push Sessions out of the way because of his plans to use the budgeting process to block President Obama’s immigration moves and to roll back ObamaCare.

Washington Post Capitol Hill insider Robert Costa tweeted this last week, further fueling the speculation:

Enzi entry is latest sign that some Rs are unhappy w/ the way Sessions is charging ahead, urging spending/immig. battle

— Robert Costa (@costareports) November 21, 2014

National conservative media personalities like Rush Limbaugh have rushed to Sessions’ defense, as have local talk radio hosts like Leland Whaley and Matt Murphy.

And the National Review article today is another boost for Sessions.

Here’s some of what they had to say:

One of the best advocates Republicans and conservatives have had on Capitol Hill for years has been Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, now the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. It’s unfortunate that there’s a chance he will not become chairman of the Budget Committee next year.

[…]

Far be it from us to question seniority, but Senator Sessions has had a great deal of practical experience and success on the Budget Committee. Senator Enzi has gotten his votes right, but Sessions has distinguished himself with his passion for key conservative priorities and has proven himself capable of communicating public arguments in their behalf.

[…]

At times, Sessions may have rankled feathers on K Street and in some chambers of power. His tone is unabashedly populist, and he is a dogged defender of the American worker. It certainly seems, however, that the Republican party and Congress could use a good deal more of this, not any less.

The Budget Committee is about to become a great deal more important when Republicans take control of the upper chamber in the 114th Congress. Both bodies will have to write budgets and likely agree to a government-funding plan with President Obama. Senator Jeff Sessions should have the chance to lead that effort.

National Review’s argument that Sessions has the “practical experience” needed to lead the committee is particularly noteworthy, because that’s the argument Enzi has been making for why he, not Sessions, should be given the gavel.

Sen. Enzi explains why he wants to chair budget cmtee (over @SenatorSessions) "This is where experience counts," Enzi says. #alpolitics

— Mary Orndorff Troyan (@orndorfftroyan) November 24, 2014

Each committee privately elects its chairman in January, so this still has a lot more time to play out. As of right now, Sessions and Enzi are both pushing forward trying to rally support. Sessions seems to be having more luck gaining the backing of influential conservative groups and individuals, while Enzi is relying on the seniority technicality. But that may be all he needs.