Politico reports that Harry Reid may try to ease Robert Byrd out of the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee in light of his declining health. And Byrd’s not the only Committee chair who may not be in that role for long:
Although Sen. Edward M. Kennedy vowed at the Democratic National Convention that he’d be back in the Senate in January, Democrats are bracing for the possibility that the Massachusetts Democrat, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the spring, may not be able to resume his duties as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP, Committee.
Senate insiders suggest Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, currently chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, may move over to take the gavel from Kennedy. That would leave Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island in line to take over the Banking Committee.
Dodd would also have a shot at the Foreign Relations Committee if its current chairman, Biden, is elected vice president. Some advisers have reportedly urged him to take over Biden’s post, one of the most prestigious in the Senate. But Dodd — who is very close to Kennedy — is said to be strongly attracted to the idea of carrying on his friend’s agenda at HELP.
If Dodd walks away from Foreign Relations, that chairmanship would go to Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).
But note that Kerry may well become Secretary of State. And Joe Lieberman may lose his chairmanship as well. Under a maximum turnover scenario, you could see Russ Feingold chairing foreign relations, Jack Reed chairing Banking, Inoue chairing Appropriations and leaving the door open for Jay Rockeffeller to take over Commerce, Thomas Carper taking over Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and Ron Wyden taking over intelligence. That’s assuming that Senator Akaka would rather stay in charge of Veterans instead of taking over Homeland Security and that Senator Feinstein would prefer staying in charge of Rules rather than taking over Intelligence. Either of those assumptions, however, could be wrong.
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