If Democrats Win, Meehan and Kennedy in Line for Chairmanships
Committee
The Eagle-Tribune
Bryan McGonigle
Boston University Washington News Service
Nov. 6
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 – If things go the Democrats’ way tonight, Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) could get a boost in their committee standings.
Meehan will likely chair the subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities of the House Armed Services Committee if the Democrats win control of the House. If the party wins control of the Senate, Kennedy will likely chair the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Meehan, the senior Democrat on his subcommittee, said he would be in a position to hold oversight hearings, “which thus far the Republicans in Congress have been unwilling to do, on issues such as providing our troops with the equipment they need, addressing the increasing threat of sniper attacks in Iraq, and the military’s policy of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ ”
Meehan said his focus also would be on the war in Iraq.
“With a Democratic majority, Congress will be able to provide some much-needed oversight of the Bush administration, and hold the president accountable for his failed policy in Iraq,” Meehan said.
Kennedy said his top priorities on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee “are to increase minimum wage so that millions of hardworking Americans get the raise they deserve, expand opportunities for families and students struggling to afford college, strengthen retirement security, fix the broken Medicare Part D drug program so that seniors in Massachusetts and across the nation no longer have to choose between their medicine and putting food on the table, and continue the fight to expand access to affordable healthcare.”
Polls have the Democrats taking 20 to 35 seats in the House; the party needs 15 to win control. But the Senate is anyone’s guess. Democrats need to pick up six Senate seats to win control, but Senate races are tight in many states. Some polls show the Democrats falling just short of a six-seat gain, while other polls show them picking up the six needed to grasp the majority.
“Democrats are the party of hope, progress, and opportunity and the American people are tired of the cynical divisive politics that the Republicans have been promoting,” Kennedy said. “It’s time for a change and we’re ready to put in place fair policies that help American families.”
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