House GOP Leaders Tap Freshmen on Jobs Agenda

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s memo to fellow House Republicans outlining the leadership’s jobs program is heavy on ideas from House GOP freshmen, The Hill reports.

The memo cites legislation from several first-timers that will come to the floor by year’s end. The list includes Reps. Morgan Griffith of Virginia, David McKinley of West Virginia, and Kristi Noem of South Dakota. All three won close elections last year and face stiff challenges next year.

The emphasis on freshmen shows both the strength that the 87 new members carry in the Republican caucus and the vulnerability they face running for re-election while the economy turns stagnant.

“Once again the leadership of our conference is including freshmen in an integral way,” said South Carolina rookie Rep. Tim Scott, who is part of the leadership team. “For that we give them high marks.”