Stevens Surrenders Committee Posts
By Kathleen Hunter, CQ Staff
Senate Republicans are quietly working to replace Ted Stevens as ranking member on three panels, ensuring that the formerly powerful Alaskan lawmaker will be relegated to the sidelines for the remainder of the 110th Congress.
The six-term senator was indicted Tuesday on seven felony counts of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosure forms. Within hours he had complied with a party rule by resigning from his top panel positions.
Stevens stepped down as the top Republican on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee; and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery.
Mississippi’s Thad Cochran, top Republican on the full Appropriations Committee, is expected to replace Stevens as ranking member of the Defense Appropriations panel for the rest of the 110th Congress, an appropriations aide said late Tuesday. The full GOP Conference has to affirm Cochran to that position before it is official.
The conference is to meet Wednesday to ratify suggested replacements for Stevens.
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