Sen. Thad Cochran

n easygoing, old-school Southern gentleman, Sen. Thad Cochran last year gave up the chairmanship of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, where he steered vital federal funding to home-state farmers, to become the first chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations panel. Cochran said he was eager for a "new challenge," and he certainly got one.

Although funding a sprawling Cabinet agency still in its infancy has provided plenty of challenges, Cochran is optimistic that the task is manageable. He said he believes the Department of Homeland Security is off to a good start, despite the inevitable "growing pains," and that Secretary Tom Ridge is doing "an exceptionally good job of bringing together the various agencies" now under the department's umbrella.

A veteran appropriator, Cochran said he sees his role as subcommittee chairman as "being a thoughtful steward of the money we are given by the budget and monitoring the administration's activities to see if they are consistent with the authorities they've been given."

Although Cochran is among the most amiable members of the Senate, GOP sources who have observed him behind closed doors say he is steely and tough-minded. Born and bred in Mississippi, and educated at the University of Mississippi-"Ole Miss"-the 66-year-old has focused on issues important to his state, namely, port and border security.

Cochran also cites airport security and passenger screening, and the overall performance of the Transportation Security Administration, as subjects the department must monitor carefully. "Every time I go in the airport, I get 'wanded,' " Cochran said. "It's hard to understand why processing passengers can't work more smoothly."