LOL! Yeah..I guess i can see why chairing the Senate Ethics committee might be problematic!
The job no GOP senator wants: 'I'd rather have a root canal'
"A prime chairmanship is poised to come open in the Senate next year. The problem? No GOP senators seem to want it.
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is set to retire in approximately a month, creating an opening atop the Senate Ethics Committee, a behind-the-scenes panel responsible for enforcing standards of behavior for senators and their staff and investigating potential violations of federal law or the Senate's rules.
Isakson, who has chaired the committee for nearly five years, told The Hill that he doesn't know who his successor will be, but encouraged his colleagues to accept the chairmanship if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) asks them.
"It's an honor to do it, and if asked, they ought to," he said.
But GOP senators who spoke with The Hill, including current members of the committee, had a near universal response when asked if they wanted to take over the Ethics Committee: Thanks, but thanks.
"Uh, I'm going to say probably not," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP leadership, laughing when asked if she would like to chair the committee. "I don't think that's a sought after position."
The lack of enthusiasm comes as the normally secretive committee has had high-profile investigations in recent years, putting a spotlight on why finding Isakson's successor could prove difficult: No one relishes investigating their colleagues.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), another member of leadership, said he doesn't know who will take over the committee. Asked if he was interested, he added an emphatic, drawn out, "nooooo."
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who previously served as vice chairman, acknowledged that it's up to the leader, but he's not interested.
"I served my time on the Ethics Committee and I think I'll give somebody else the opportunity," he said.
The decision about who will lead the committee rests with McConnell, who previously tapped Isakson to take over as chairman when Republicans took back the majority in 2015.
A GOP aide said conversations had not yet started about who will succeed Isakson, who announced that he would step down at the end of December due to ongoing health issues.
Several Republicans who currently oversee other committees also indicated they had no interest in taking on Ethics.
Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said he would rather undergo a dental procedure.
"Are you kidding? Are you kidding? I'd rather have a root canal," he said."
The job no GOP senator wants: 'I'd rather have a root canal'
"A prime chairmanship is poised to come open in the Senate next year. The problem? No GOP senators seem to want it.
Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) is set to retire in approximately a month, creating an opening atop the Senate Ethics Committee, a behind-the-scenes panel responsible for enforcing standards of behavior for senators and their staff and investigating potential violations of federal law or the Senate's rules.
Isakson, who has chaired the committee for nearly five years, told The Hill that he doesn't know who his successor will be, but encouraged his colleagues to accept the chairmanship if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) asks them.
"It's an honor to do it, and if asked, they ought to," he said.
But GOP senators who spoke with The Hill, including current members of the committee, had a near universal response when asked if they wanted to take over the Ethics Committee: Thanks, but thanks.
"Uh, I'm going to say probably not," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of GOP leadership, laughing when asked if she would like to chair the committee. "I don't think that's a sought after position."
The lack of enthusiasm comes as the normally secretive committee has had high-profile investigations in recent years, putting a spotlight on why finding Isakson's successor could prove difficult: No one relishes investigating their colleagues.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), another member of leadership, said he doesn't know who will take over the committee. Asked if he was interested, he added an emphatic, drawn out, "nooooo."
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who previously served as vice chairman, acknowledged that it's up to the leader, but he's not interested.
"I served my time on the Ethics Committee and I think I'll give somebody else the opportunity," he said.
The decision about who will lead the committee rests with McConnell, who previously tapped Isakson to take over as chairman when Republicans took back the majority in 2015.
A GOP aide said conversations had not yet started about who will succeed Isakson, who announced that he would step down at the end of December due to ongoing health issues.
Several Republicans who currently oversee other committees also indicated they had no interest in taking on Ethics.
Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said he would rather undergo a dental procedure.
"Are you kidding? Are you kidding? I'd rather have a root canal," he said."
