Senate Appropriations easy to predict, Ag subcommittee difficult
November 03, 2014 | 05:49 PM
The chairmanship of the overall Senate Appropriations Committee is easy to foresee no matter which party wins control of the Senate.
If the Democrats stay in control, Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland will continue to chair it. If the Republicans win control, Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi will claim the position, even though Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama has been the ranking member. (Shelby can probably comfort himself with the chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee.)
But predicting who will serve on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which controls discretionary spending for programs such as food safety, research and rural development is more difficult. Since the farm bill is in place, the Ag Appropriations Subcommittee may be a more important important and attractive assignment for the next few years than the authorizing committee.
The Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is more complicated for the Democrats. It is chaired by Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, and if he wins, he will keep the top Democratic slot because he has made his hold on it part of his campaign.
But is Pryor loses, as expected, it’s unclear who will be the top Democrat.
Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa has more seniority, but he is retiring.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California follows Harkin in seniority but she is the top Democrat on the Energy and Water Subcommittee, which is important to California.
Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota is next, but he is retiring.
Pryor has actually been fourth in seniority but has chaired the subcommittee. If he is no longer on the scene, the next in line is Sen. Jon Tester of Montana. But Tester might also be positioned to be the top Democrat on the Homeland Security or the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and the programs under the Interior subcommittee are of great importance to Montana.
If Tester were to turn down Agriculture, the next in line is Tom Udall of New Mexico, but Udall has been serving as chairman of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee.
If Udall also turns it down that would put Jeff Merkley of Oregon in line. Merkely is running for re-election this year and is favored to win.
Harkin’s and Johnson’s retirement means that there will be Democratic openings on the committee, although the number may depend on the ratio between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate.
If the Republicans win control of the Senate, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has been ranking member, is the likely new chairman.
Blunt is behind Cochran, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine in seniority, but they all have other responsibilities.
The other members of the subcommittee are Jerry Moran of Kansas and John Hoeven of North Dakota.
If the Republicans win control, there will most likely be at least one opening on the subcommittee, but that could change if any of the current subcommittee members choose to serve on other subcommittees.
If the Democrats stay in control, Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland will continue to chair it. If the Republicans win control, Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi will claim the position, even though Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama has been the ranking member. (Shelby can probably comfort himself with the chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee.)
But predicting who will serve on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which controls discretionary spending for programs such as food safety, research and rural development is more difficult. Since the farm bill is in place, the Ag Appropriations Subcommittee may be a more important important and attractive assignment for the next few years than the authorizing committee.
The Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is more complicated for the Democrats. It is chaired by Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, and if he wins, he will keep the top Democratic slot because he has made his hold on it part of his campaign.
But is Pryor loses, as expected, it’s unclear who will be the top Democrat.
Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa has more seniority, but he is retiring.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California follows Harkin in seniority but she is the top Democrat on the Energy and Water Subcommittee, which is important to California.
Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota is next, but he is retiring.
Pryor has actually been fourth in seniority but has chaired the subcommittee. If he is no longer on the scene, the next in line is Sen. Jon Tester of Montana. But Tester might also be positioned to be the top Democrat on the Homeland Security or the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and the programs under the Interior subcommittee are of great importance to Montana.
If Tester were to turn down Agriculture, the next in line is Tom Udall of New Mexico, but Udall has been serving as chairman of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee.
If Udall also turns it down that would put Jeff Merkley of Oregon in line. Merkely is running for re-election this year and is favored to win.
Harkin’s and Johnson’s retirement means that there will be Democratic openings on the committee, although the number may depend on the ratio between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate.
If the Republicans win control of the Senate, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has been ranking member, is the likely new chairman.
Blunt is behind Cochran, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine in seniority, but they all have other responsibilities.
The other members of the subcommittee are Jerry Moran of Kansas and John Hoeven of North Dakota.
If the Republicans win control, there will most likely be at least one opening on the subcommittee, but that could change if any of the current subcommittee members choose to serve on other subcommittees.
