Johnson Senate Exit Puts Control, Bank Chairman in Play

[Purveyor]

By James Rowley - Mar 27, 2013
U.S. Senator Tim Johnson’s decision to retire after the 2014 election makes the Democrats’ job of holding their Senate majority tougher.

Johnson, 66, the Senate banking committee chairman, is the second Democrat from a state won by Republican nominee Mitt Romney last year to say he won’t seek re-election in 2014. His announcement yesterday means that in Republican-leaning states, his party must defend those two open seats and support five incumbents running for re-election.

“I will be 68 years old at the end of this term, and it is time for me to say goodbye,” Johnson said at a news conference in his home state of South Dakota.

His announcement sets up a possible fight over who would head the Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee -- which oversees financial regulation legislation -- in the 2015- 16 congressional session.

MORE...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-26/democratic-senate-control-harder-with-7-romney-state-bids.html

[karynnj]

1. Senator Reed of Rhode Island is the next in line - he is also the next in line for the Armed Service

Committee. In 2015, when this is play, it may depend on events between then and now as to which committee chair he would take.

It is interesting that IF he takes Armed Services, the Chair of Armed Services and the secretaries of state will all be Vietnam veterans. (Reed was a West Point graduate and Vietnam veteran). It is also interesting that all three were for not for the huge surge proposed in Afghanistan. Bill Nelson and then Claire McCasskill are the next two most senior.

As to the banking committee, Reed is a solid liberal and he has done a lot of work on the banking committee on things like affordable housing. If he takes, Armed Services, Schumer is the next most senior - followed by Menendez (who currently chairs SFRC). (Schumer is also in the leadership, but that would not mean he can't chair this committee - where he could help Wall Street.

[Octafish]

2. Now is no time for seniority. Elizabeth WARREN knows the terrain already.

Better than most anybody, actually.

[littlewolf]

4. can Harry Reid make that call or is it a Senate rule that the most

Senior Senator be offered the position?

[Octafish]

5. The ''Little Legislatures'' usually go by seniority...

...but the GOP did away with their system in '95.

Traditionally, the majority party member with the greatest seniority on a particular committee serves as its chairman. When the Republican party gained the majority in 1995, it altered its conference rules to allow Republicans on individual committees to vote by secret ballot for their committee's chairman, irrespective of that member's seniority. This adjustment was a logical consequence of the party's larger decision to place a six-year term limit on the service of its chairmen or, when in the minority, its ranking members.

SOURCE: http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Committees.htm

If he were interested in results beneficial to the 99-percent, Reid might want to do something similar.

[msongs]

3. repubs already control the senate by default nt