Reid names chairmen for next Senate session

Mon Dec 15, 6:37 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kerry will be the next Foreign Relations Committee chairman while Sen. John D. Rockefeller will take over the committee that will help write the economic recovery package, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Monday.

Kerry, D-Mass., the former Democratic presidential nominee, will take over the committee that has been headed by Vice President-elect Joe Biden, D-Del.

Reid’s recommendations to the Senate Democratic Steering committee will be formally approved when the 111th session of the Senate convenes in January.

The major lineup changes result from Biden’s departure and the decision of 91-year-old Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to step down as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, which crafts annual spending bills. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii will chair Appropriations, and Rockefeller will move up to chair the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that Inouye had led.

Rockefeller will leave his post as head of the Select Committee on Intelligence, to be replaced by Dianne Feinstein of California. Feinstein in turn gives up her position as Rules and Administration chair to Charles Schumer of New York.

The chairmanship of the Small Business Committee, which has been held by Kerry, will go to Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

Other positions will not change. They include:

Tom Harkin of Iowa at Agriculture; Patrick Leahy of Vermont at Judiciary; Carl Levin of Michigan at Armed Services; Chris Dodd of Connecticut at Banking; Kent Conrad of North Dakota at Budget; Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico at Energy and Natural Resources; Barbara Boxer of California at Environment and Public Works; Max Baucus of Montana at Finance; Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts at Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Daniel Akaka of Hawaii at Veterans Affairs; independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut at Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Byron Dorgan of North Dakota at Indian Affairs; and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin at the Special Committee on Aging.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081215/ap_on_go_co/senate_chairmen_2