Periodically in its 175 years of statehood, which was marked last week, Michigan has had politicians prominent in crafting federal policy.

Early on there was former territorial Governor Lewis Cass, who remains today one of the foremost names in state history and politics. Pre-statehood, he negotiated treaties with Indians, who called him “Great Father of Detroit” and “Big Belly.”

After statehood, Cass was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1845 and resigned when he became the losing Democratic presidential nominee in 1848 and came close to getting the nomination four years later. He later returned to the Senate and then became President James Buchanan’s secretary of state.

Civil War Governor Austin Blair was an intense champion of human rights and the Union, mustering Michigan into battle to help preserve both. He prodded Abraham Lincoln into taking a stronger stand against slavery, and became one of the nation’s foremost Civil War governors.

Michigan also has had some of the foremost U.S. Senators, two of whom had rare honors bestowed by the Senate.

A portrait of 1928-51 Republican Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, an isolationist who converted to internationalism and was instrumental in forging a bipartisan foreign policy, hangs in what essentially is the Senate Hall of Fame.

The Senate in 1987 named one of its three Capitol Hill buildings after Democratic Senator Philip A. Hart (1966-79), whose traits of civility, integrity, and fair-mindedness earned him the reputation as “The Conscience of the Senate.”

Another Michigan notable was Republican Senator Robert P. Griffin (1966-79), co-author of the Landrum Griffin Act that regulates labor-management relations. As the minority whip responsible for county Republican votes, he played a pivotal role in President Richard Nixon’s 1974 resignation in the wake of Watergate, saying, “We’ve arrived at a point where both the national interest and his own interest will best be served” by resignation of his friend.

Democratic Senator Carl Levin (1979- ), Michigan’s longest-serving senator, has had a high-profile role in Washington as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee during wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow (2001- ) chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee.

In the House, Michigan has had such major players as 28-term Representative John Dingell (D-Dearborn), dean of the House who had long chaired the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Camp’s latest key role

A current major player in the House is 11-term Representative Dave Camp (R-Midland), chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Last week, he was named cochairman with Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) of the 20-member House-Senate conference committee that will seek resolution on a package to extend the payroll tax holiday, extend unemployment insurance benefits, and prevent a deep cut in Medicare reimbursements for doctors. Camp introduced a plan for a full-year extension, called the Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act. The Senate plan extends through February.

As noted here in December, Camp in 2010 was one of six House members of the bipartisan 18-member National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform created by President Barack Obama. Last year, he was named to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction— later dubbed the Supercommittee—that was created by Congress and Obama. It was charged with issuing a formal recommendation by November 23 on how to reduce the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

The conference committee was named in December after these efforts did not produce long-term resolution. There has been little optimism that resolution will happen before this year’s election.

Camp, in a phone chat shortly before the full conference committee held its first meeting, vowed he “will not give up.” He said Congress has been waiting for President Barack Obama “to lead. He hasn’t.”

(Also on the conference committee are 13-term Representative Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee on chaired by Dingell, and 15-term Representative Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak), ranking Democrat on Ways and Means.)

Among Camp’s other priorities for 2012 are Great Lakes issues, include efforts to block entry of Asian carp into Lake Michigan and implementation of increased federal funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Interestingly, under congressional redistricting, Camp notes he will “lose all” of Great Lakes shoreline now in his 4th district. Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties will be in the 1st District. But he said, “I hope I can (still) be helpful. We’re all from Michigan.”

It would be premature to put current members of Michigan’s congressional delegation in the historically notable category as Vandenberg or Hart. But much of the fiscal health of the nation rides on outcome conference committee that has three Michigan lawmakers.

George Weeks, a member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of fame, for 22 years was the political columnist for The Detroit News and previously with UPI as Lansing Bureau Chief and foreign editor in Washington. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.