http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/senate-democrats-committee-seats-113539.html?hp=c2_3Senate Democrats losing committee seats
By Seung Min Kim
12/12/14 3:13 PM EST
Updated 12/12/14 8:22 PM EST
As they head into the minority in January, Senate Democrats are poised to lose one to two seats on each of the chamber’s committees – diminishing their influence as the new GOP majority vows to make the committee process a central part of their governing strategy next year.
Republicans will hold a 54-46 majority in the Senate in the 114th Congress.
The following committees will lose two Democratic seats in January, according to a list obtained by POLITICO: Agriculture; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking; Budget; Commerce; Energy; Environment and Public Works; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Indian Affairs; and Rules and Administration.
Senate Democrats also lose two seats on the Joint Economic Committee, which is a shared panel with the House, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats will lose just one seat on the following panels: Finance, Foreign Relations, Intelligence, Judiciary, Small Business and Veterans Affairs.
The powerful Appropriations panel picks up three new members: Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico will join Armed Services, and Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana will become a Banking member.
Sens. Tom Udall of New Mexico, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and incoming Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan will join Commerce — while Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, independent Angus King of Maine and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts are set to join the Energy committee.
Peters, as well as Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, will join the Homeland panel and Hirono will join Intelligence. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia will join Aging, while Peters, Hirono and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware will become Small Business committee members.
Veterans Affairs’ picks up Manchin, and Peters, the only new member of the Senate Democratic Caucus, also gets a seat on the Joint Economic Committee.
The Senate Ethics Committee, which is divided equally between three Democrats and three Republicans, will have two new Democratic members: Schatz and Coons.
Senate Republicans are expected to finalize their committee assignments next week.