• With many eyes focused on the Presidential election date, both houses of Congress worked diligently on such agenda items as tax cuts, disaster relief, counter-terrorism measures and so on so that they could recess on or about October 8 for legislators to hit the campaign trails. How Congressional elections go will affect Senate and House party majorities and, therefore, who will chair various committees.
The Republicans have held a slight majority but have term limits for committee chairmen. For example, if the Republicans retain their majority, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) would step down as chairman of the Appropriations Committee and probably move laterally to chair the Commerce Committee, while Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) would move up. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would vacate his chairmanship on the Senate Commerce Committee and take the chair for the Indian Affairs Committee for two years, after which he would become eligible to chair the Armed Services Committee.
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