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December 20, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Retirements and potential Republican losses in the 2008 elections could mean a boost for Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who hold key positions on their respective chamber's appropriations committees.
Both figure to move up in seniority and land more coveted positions as top Republicans on higher-ranking subcommittees.
"You hate that people have to leave to give you that opportunity, or even lose, but it does create for us great opportunities to be more effective in the appropriations process," Rep. Wamp said. "At the least, I'm going to get a good promotion to a major subcommittee position."
As the Appropriation Committee's 13th most senior Republican, Rep. Wamp is the ranking minority member of the legislative branch appropriations subcommittee.
The Appropriations Committee, arguably the most powerful panel in each chamber, sets spending levels and priorities for the federal government. As with all committees, members gain more clout as they gain more seniority.
If the chips fall right in 2008, and Rep. Wamp is re-elected, he could become his party's ranking member on the energy and water appropriations subcommittee, a position he said he would like, given the presence of the Tennessee Valley Authority and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in his district.
Rep. Wamp easily won his last election and has no announced opponent for 2008.
If he doesn't land that assignment, Rep. Wamp said he could be the ranking party member of the Department of Interior appropriations subcommittee, which would have oversight over funding Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other federal parklands.
Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., who serves on the Financial Services and Agriculture committees, said he may try to get on the Armed Services Committee in the next Congress but otherwise is satisfied with his assignments.
Sen. Alexander, meanwhile, figures to move up at least three notches in seniority after the 2008 elections and possibly a fourth notch, if Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, leaves to run for Texas governor in 2010, as she has expressed interest in doing.
"I will have an opportunity to move up and have a ranking position on one of the subcommittees, but it's too early to speculate what those would be," said Sen. Alexander, who is not the ranking member on any appropriations subcommittee. "Clearly it'll give me a more senior position on the most important committee in the Senate."
As for his other committee assignments, Sen. Alexander said he does not expect much change. He is the third most senior Republican on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and is ranking member on that committee's education subcommittee.
He does not build any seniority on his third assignment, the Environment and Public Works Committee, according to party rules.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who sits on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, declined to speculate on how the 2008 elections might affect his assignments.
"The only time to look at that is after the next election," he said.
Georgia U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, both Republicans, said they chose their committees to round out each other's memberships.
Sen. Chambliss is the ranking member on the Agriculture Committee and serves on the Armed Services and Intelligence committees.
Sen. Isakson serves on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Environment and Public Works; Foreign Relations; and Veterans' Affairs.
"The committees I'm on serve the state well and are a complement to Senator Chambliss so we can cover the broadest range of issues," Sen. Isakson said.
Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is ranking member on the health subcommittee, said he will not seek any changes in his assignments.
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