Lawmaker Conspicuous by His Absence : Congress: Rep. Michael Huffington agreed in general with a letter to Clinton on releasing immigration funds, but was only member of state delegation not to sign.

WASHINGTON — Call it a learning experience for freshman Rep. Michael Huffington (R-Santa Barbara). Or maybe it was simply a case of hanging tough.

The state congressional delegation this month was organizing a bipartisan letter to President Clinton, pressing him to budget more than $1.4 billion in federal funds to reimburse the state for the cost of dealing with illegal immigration. Would the congressman care to sign on? It was one of those rare opportunities for a display of unanimity for the politically rambunctious Californians.

Gov. Pete Wilson, winding up a lobbying mission to Washington, had persuaded governors of four states to join his quest for the funds and won the support of the diverse California lawmakers at a breakfast meeting.

The idea of a “Dear Mr. President” letter signed by the entire delegation--the biggest delegation ever from a state--had been hatched earlier in the week. It was being coordinated by Pam Barry, executive director of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, and Leslie Adlam, legislative assistant to Rep. Carlos J. Moorhead, dean of California Republicans.

But two senators and 51 congressmen (former Rep. Leon E. Panetta’s seat is vacant after his appointment as Clinton’s director of management and budget) are a lot of people to coordinate, even when they all agree on an issue.

The letter went out Feb. 5 as planned, trailed by an impressive two pages of 52 signatures. That’s everyone--except Huffington.

“It was a procedural problem. We know that he and his office are very supportive of the governor’s goals,” said Wilson spokesman Dan Schnur in Sacramento. “There are no hard feelings here.”

Huffington received the letter Feb. 4, said top aide Michael Wootten, but did not want to sign until he studied it.

Of particular interest to the congressman was reimbursement to local governments for the costs of jailing illegal immigrant felons. Nowhere in the proposed letter was there a mention of those funds, a cost of perhaps $250 million.

“He subscribed to the letter but thought that it didn’t go far enough,” Wootten said. “Many law enforcement officials had brought (the incarceration issue) to our attention and we thought it should be in the letter.”

“It also was timing,” Wootten said. “It came in and we were supposed to sign it in three minutes. But we had some questions.”

Sure enough, the next day Huffington sent off his own letter to the White House. “I would like to join with my colleagues in the California congressional delegation in urging. . . .”

In hindsight, are there any regrets about not being part of the delegation letter?

“I don’t think so,” Wootten said. The congressman was being “discerning.”

But an opportunity--albeit a modest, purely Washingtonian moment--was lost.

“Chalk it up to a new staff, a new office,” said David Joergenson, Moorhead’s press secretary. “With more experience they’ll understand the realities of these things. When you’re in such a large delegation, you have to realize you’re just one of 52.”