Senate Democrats set to issue committee assignments

With a new organizational resolution intact, Senate Democrats are getting ready to distribute new committee assignments, while Republicans are anxious to test new Democratic assurances about how they will deal with President Bush's nominees. The Democratic Steering Committee, which makes committee assignments, is scheduled to meet next Tuesday. Democrats will get to add one new member to every committee other than Ethics, which is evenly divided. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who heads the panel and has consulted with Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said most of the assignments have been decided. Daschle has met with committee chairmen to discuss panel assignments, and will try to balance a number of factors, including ideology, seniority, region and gender, among other internal considerations. Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W. Va., has said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., will join his panel. Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., has been mentioned as a candidate for the Budget Committee. Sen. James Jeffords, I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats, has said he intends to keep all of his committee assignments, maintaining seats on the Finance; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Veterans Affairs; and Aging committees. The Senate was able to agree to the organizing resolution by unanimous consent after Republicans dropped their demand that it include a change in Senate rules to guarantee that Supreme Court nominees reach the floor for a vote.

Instead, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and ranking member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, entered into the record a joint letter stating, "We both recognize and have every intention of following the practices and precedents of the committee and the Senate when considering Supreme Court nominees."

Leahy and Hatch submitted another letter stating their intention to treat "blue slips" dealing with other nominees as "public information."

Leahy has scheduled his first hearing on nominations for next Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman. A spokesman for Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., mentioned two nominations--attorney Jeffrey Sutton, nominated for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and Mary Sheila Gall, nominated for commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission--as "key tests to see whether Senate Democrats will treat Bush's recommendations fairly." The White House Monday urged the Senate to work harder to confirm presidential appointees, accusing both parties of failing to move expeditiously on Bush's political appointees. White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer complained Monday that not only was work moving too slowly, but too many senators are placing holds on nominees.

"Now that the Senate has reached this [reorganization] agreement, the President believes it's very important that the senators step up the pace," Fleischer said.