What Does Specter's Switch Mean For The Committees?
Answer: Still unclear. Everyone on the Hill is referring such questions to the Majority Leader's office, and the Majority Leader's office isn't saying much. The Democrats (including Harry Reid himself) are wrapping up their weekly caucus lunch and Reid has scheduled a press conference for 2:45. We'll keep our eye on it.
There are at least two important questions that still need to be answered. First, what will Specter's committee assignments be now that he's a Democrat. And second, who will replace him on his current committees now that he's switching over. He was, of course, ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and, for good measure, ranking member on subcommittees in the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Appropriations Committee. Those positions will now have to be handed down to other Republicas.
More on all that later. But for now, keep in mind that the next most senior minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee is Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). He used to chair that committee, and there may be term limit rules that prevent him from taking Specter's place. Behind Hatch are Iowa's Chuck Grassley (ranking member on Senate Finance) and Arizona's Jon Kyl (the minority whip). If they don't swap out those coveted positions for Specter's slot on Judiciary, next in line would be...Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL).
Josh
Matt
Eric
That's a little like asking which strain of gonorrhea you'd prefer to suffer.
April 28, 2009 2:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
While Democrats have become Republicans, Specter is the first republican ever to switch to the democratic party. Collins and Snowe need to make it a triple play!
April 28, 2009 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
You mean Susan We don't need no stinkin' flu pandemic funding Collins?
April 28, 2009 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
She took it out of the stimulus because she said it belonged in the omnibus spending bill. She supported funding for the pandemic there. Why do you care whether the money was in the left hand or the right hand as long as it was there?
This is a bogus charge and we oughta let it go.
April 28, 2009 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Term limits seems unlikely. Lugar has been ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee on and off since the mid-80s. He took Agriculture for a while with Helms taking the FRC, but then came back to it. Orin hasn't really run Judiciary since the 2004 elections, with Arlen taking over in January 2005. That is likely long enough away. Leahy has been ranking Dem on Judiciary the entire decade.
Cornyn has bigger fish to fry. Grassley has Finance. Kyl doesn't have an important Chair, but he's also insane. Graham is a bit too junior, and more likely would be a right hand man like Schumer is. The GOP doesn't like Coburn anymore than the Dems do.
My guess is that Hatch may step in to be a bridge ranking member (since he knows how to run a committee from opposition) and that perhaps they groom Sessions to take it shortly. Safe seat, doesn't run again until 2014 even if it doesn't stay safe (unlikely), 12 years under his belt.
Of course Sessions bid for the Federal Bench died in this committee back in 1986, so it would be poetic to see him be the ranking on it in opposition to the Dems. :)
John
April 28, 2009 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink