Senate party leaders will have to reach a compromise before committee assignments can be completed. The current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., expects to keep the job, and he opposes sharing staff positions. At a Dec. 7 Republican leadership meeting, Warner argued that completing the annual defense bill is such a demanding task that he does not want any panel jobs to go to Democrats. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, ranking Democrat on Warner's committee, is among those pushing for a more equal power-sharing arrangement. The committee now has 11 Republicans and nine Democrats.
Democrats expect to get one more seat.
In the House, the Republican Steering Committee interviewed three potential candidates for Armed Services Committee chairman. The job is open because Republicans imposed rules limiting the term of committee chairmen to six years, which will force Rep. Floyd Spence, R-S.C., to step down. Rep. Bob Stump, R-Ariz., is first in line for the job based on seniority. Stump, who now chairs the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, has the inside track on the job because he also happens to be a member of the steering committee, although he won't get to vote on the chairmanship of his own committee. Under House rules, the 26-member steering committee makes recommendations to House Republicans about chairmanships.