Tom Delay to House Appropriations Committee

[pgwenthold]

I haven't seen it on any web site, but the news from Air America today (Rachel Maddo and Randi Rhodes) is that Tom Delay has been selected to fill a vacant seat on the House Appropriations committee. Moreover, he is on the subcommittee that holds oversight for the Justice department. You know, the one that is investigating Jack Abramoff?

Personally, I think it is great he is on the appropriations committee. With his experience, he can find ways to funnel money into places that are not able to get it through normal procedures...

 

[Luke T.]

DeLay Rejoins House Appropriations Committee

Mr. DeLay, who was a member of the powerful committee until becoming majority leader in 2003, was able to rejoin the panel because of a vacancy created after the resignation of Representative Randy Cunningham, Republican of California. Mr. Cunningham pleaded guilty in November to charges relating to accepting $2.4 million in bribes for government business and other favors.

Mr. DeLay was also given a seat on the subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department, which is investigating an influence-peddling scandal involving the disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his dealings with lawmakers. The subcommittee also has responsibility over NASA, a top priority for Mr. DeLay because the Johnson Space Center in Houston is in his district.

Also:

Republican leaders named Representative Howard P. McKeon of California as chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee. The majority leader, John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, vacated that post after winning a campaign to succeed Mr. DeLay.

Mr. McKeon is a seven-term conservative who has a generally good relationship with educators. He wrote a 2001 law to remove disincentives for workers who would have lost part of their Social Security benefits when switching jobs to become public school teachers.