Begich

He really needs to be on Appropriations by 2014.  That would give him a big boost for re-election.

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by: ChadInFL @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 19:50:18 PM UTC

James E. Risch (R-ID) on the ethics committee!

Is anyone else laughing about this?

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01

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by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:06:56 PM UTC

Party Imbalance

All the new Ds have 2-4 committees; both Rs have 5.  Normal for the minority party to have more committee seats per member?

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by: sicembears @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:09:57 PM UTC

Fewer of them to spread around

Repubs pulling double duty. Can't complain.  

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by: conspiracy @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:12:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And they have to pick up the slack

The old-timers like Bunning usually don't even show up at committee meetings anyway.

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by: ChadInFL @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:29:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Is it any wonder Voinovich and Bond decided to call it quits?

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by: conspiracy @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:34:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Mark Udall on Aging???

Isn't CO one of the youngest states in the nation?

Looks like Warner and Merkley got the best slots for the Dems, as well as Kaufman, who seemed to have just inherited Joey B's committee spots.  

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by: greg91020 @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:24:51 PM UTC

Kaufman

He did seem to inherit Biden's slots. However, Banking would have been better given Delaware's ties to the credit card induatry.  Even agriculture would have been nice.  Delaware has a lot of chicken farms and chicken procesing plants, something you notice if you head south through the state.

What a strange mix: credit cards, corporate "homes", chicken, and chemicals.  

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by: David Kowalski @ Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 03:41:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ain't Delaware close to the high seas?

[/pun] Heh.

party: Democratic, ideology: moderate, district: CT-01

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by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 18:56:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Reid & Burris

Considering that for how long and needlessly and stupidly that Reid was dissing Burris, Burris really didn't do too badly on the assignments that Reid handed him.

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by: homerun @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:29:01 PM UTC

Maybe a sweetner

So he doesn't run again.

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by: conspiracy @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:37:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Seems like they just plugged Kaufman

into Biden's vacated spots.  Wonder if Beau will get those same jobs in two years, presuming he gets in.

I admit, I'm kind of disappointed that the Udalls don't share any committees.  That would be fun.

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by: SC @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:32:36 PM UTC

A seatwarmer for sure. But why only 2 committees?

Could it be since he's a 2 year placeholder, you're only allowed 2?
I wonder if Kaufman was given Biden's vacated office space as well

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by: homerun @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:44:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I know sometimes in the House

If you are on the more prestigeous committees, you get fewer overall assignments, so maybe that's going on.

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by: IndianaProgressive @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 21:20:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Office space

is allocated purely by seniority.  Since Biden had 36 years, you can be certain someone else will grab those choice digs.  Kaufman is temporarily operating out of a Dirksen ground level office until he gets a permanent office assignment.

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by: Vadranor @ Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 03:33:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Rank Committees by Desirability

I realize that different committees are important to different members for various reasons.  By, I was just wandering if there was any sort of generally recognized ranking of the committees by desireability/difficulty of getting a spot on the committee?

My WAG:

1.  Appropriations
2.  Finance
3.  Armed Services
4.  Foreign Affairs
5.  Rules and Administration
6.  Judiciary
7.  Commerce
8.  Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs
9.  Health, Education, Labor
10. Agriculture
11. Homeland Security and Gov't Affairs
12. Budget
13. Energy
14. Environment
15. Intelligence
16. Veteran Affairs
17. Small Business
18. Indian Affairs
19. Ethics
20. Aging
21. International Narcotics Control

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by: sicembears @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:33:20 PM UTC

Rules is not as powerful as in the House

Every senator is basically his own rules committee.

28, Unenrolled, MA-08

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by: Marcus @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 21:22:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Which Are the Best

Well there's the official breakdown in the Senate rules: "Twelve of the sixteen current standing committees are Class A panels. They are Agriculture; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Foreign Relations; Governmental Affairs; Judiciary; and Labor and Human Resources. Somewhat less prestigious, but vital to the Senate's operations, are the four Class B standing committees. They are Budget; Rules and Administration; Small Business; and Veterans' Affairs."

And of course it depends on the senator's personal interests, and the economy of their state. Generally serving on a panel dealing with financial services is a good idea if you are from DE, CT or NY, while serving on Armed Services is a good idea if you are from Mississippi or Maine.

But probably the best measure of what senators themselves think is prestigious is to look at which committee more senior senators gravitate to. By that measure I'm pretty sure that over the last decade or so the most desirable committee is Finance.

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by: armand @ Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 04:01:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

And Indian Affairs

is a good spot for Udall, since New Mexico is 9.8 percent Native American. Also, he was always great with Indian affairs as a member of the House.

I wouldn't be surprised if he requested that committee assignment, actually.  

New Mexico politics from the local perspective.

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by: fbihop @ Wed Jan 28, 2009 at 06:59:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

His dad

Wasn't his dad Interior Secretary way back under Kennedy or Johnson?  Or was that Mark Udall's dad?

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by: ChadInFL @ Wed Jan 28, 2009 at 15:54:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yup. Mark is Mo's son

Tom is JFK Interior Sec. Stewart Udall's son.

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by: conspiracy @ Wed Jan 28, 2009 at 20:27:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Interesting assignments for Warner.

Although they are plum assignments for a freshman, they are all domestic policy-focused.  If Warner intended to use the Senate to burnish his foreign policy/national security credentials for a future Presidential run, he would likely have ended up on Armed Services, Foreign Relations or Homeland Security.

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by: DCal @ Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 20:37:04 PM UTC

Armed Services

Well, unless he was doing investigations, Homeland Security is more domestic-oriented.

For a Virginian getting on Armed Services probably would've made the most sense - but Jim Webb is already on it, and while it happens, it's quite unusual for 2 senators from the same state and same party to be on the same committee together. But sure, he could've gone on Foreign Relations.  

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by: armand @ Tue Jan 27, 2009 at 14:39:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]