KBH fighting for her chair(wo)manship
The AP wire carries a report that Senator Hutchison is fighting to keep her appropriations subcommittee chairmanship.

The House reorganized its Appropriations Committee structure, reducing its subcommittees to 10. The Senate still has 13 subcommittees and is trying to determine how it can marry its structure with the House's without pushing some of its senators out of their chairmanships.

Hutchison has less seniority than other senators holding chairmanships so she could end up squeezed out if the Senate follows the House, which it has not seemed eager to do.

This is interesting for two reasons:

1. A fight over her own power may make Hutchison more appreciative of her 10 years seniority and power. It's unlikely, but it's possible that it could make her want to stick around DC for another term to enjoy the power she's worked for.

2. Inasmuch as KBH can be efficacious on her own behalf (the case appears to be more of a Senate-House institutional power struggle, with each bodies leaders fighting just because), Hutchison's own power diminishes somewhat as she eyes the governor's mansion.

- posted @ 2:33 PM permalink