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November 14, 2006

Reed, Whitehouse get committee assignments

WASHINGTON -- Senate committee seats were handed out today, and Rhode Island's Democratic legislators were on the receiving end.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed was assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee, winning a seat at the table where money is distributed for many government programs.

Reed also kept his high-profile seat on the Armed Services Committee, plus his slots on the panels with jurisdiction over health care and banking.

Senator-elect Sheldon Whitehouse was assigned to the committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Judiciary, Intelligence and Budget Committees, according to the office of incoming Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. He was also assigned to the Special Committee on Aging.

Taken together, Reed's gains boost his ability to bring federal dollars home to Rhode Island and consolidate his influence across a broad range of issues, all at a time when he is viewed as one of the new Democratic majority's leading voices on military issues.

"This is a great time to be Jack Reed,'' said congressional analyst Norman Ornstein. " Jack has become as much of an opinion-leader and a bridge-builder on Iraq as any other Democrat.''

The Judiciary Committee reviews nominations to the federal bench including the U.S. Supreme Court. The Budget Committee each year draws a broad blueprint for federal spending that guides other committees in writing budgets for the agencies under their control.

Outgoing Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee served on Environment and Public Works, Foreign Relations and Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committees.

House leaders will make committee assignments later in the week.

-- Journal staff writer John E. Mulligan

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 5:15 PM | Permalink

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