One of their first moves was to break the cycle of hiring parochial-minded Senate aides to manage the sprawling committee ; their choice for Executive Director was John Heubusch ( later a top executive with Gateway Computers and head of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation ) . Other key hires were Jo Anne B. Barnhart as Political Director , and Gordon Hensley as Communications Director . ( Barnhart was a long-time aide and campaigner for Sen. William Roth , and later served as Commissioner of the Social Security Administration . ) All three were singled out by '' Roll Call '' newspaper in 1996 as among national " Politics ' Fabulous Fifty . " The NRSC faced several challenges beyond their control , many emanating from the two dominant Republicans of 1995-96 , House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole . The Oklahoma City bombing had given President Bill Clinton an opportunity to marginalize his opponents , and slowed the momentum of the reform-minded Republican Congress
Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
Arthur J. Finkelstein