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8A FEDERAL UPDATE from page 9 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~age 10 a notable change in subcommittee leadership, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (Calif.-38) is expected to chair the Water and Power Sub- committee. Rules. Democmts will get their first chance in a dozen years to establish the ground rules for House operations and floor debate when current Rules committee Ranking Member Louise Slaughter (N.Y.-28) moves into the chairmanship position on the committee in January. Current committee Chairman David Dreier (Calif..26) is expected to serve as the committee's ranking member in the new session, and Democrats are expected to expand their representation on the panel, where they are presently outnumbered 9-4. Incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi will likely playa significant part in choosing members of her party to fill any new seats on the panel. Transportation and Infrastructure. Current Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member James Oberstar (Minn.-8) is expected to become the committee's new chair- man in the 110th Congress. At the top ofthe committee's agenda will be the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which the committee takes on every four years. In addition, the committee is likely to begin ptepatations for the next highWay blO, and con- sider pipeline safety. Assuming Democrats do not alter the subcommittee structure and that they adhere to a seniority-based system, the following Democrats will become subcommittee chairs of the corresponding subcommittees in January- Jerry Costello (111.-12) to Aviation; Bob Filner (Calif.-51) to Coast Guard and Maritime Transpor- tation; Eleanor Holmes Norton (Washington D.C.- At Large) to Economic Development, Public Buildings and emergency Management; Peter DeFazio (Ore.-4) to Highways, Transit and Pipe- lines; Corrine Brown (Fla.-3) to Railroads; and Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas-30) to Water Resources and Environment. Current committee Chairman Don Young (Alaska-At Large) will likely serve as the committee's ranking member in January. Ways and Means. After 36 years in the House, current Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Charles Rangel (N.Y.-15) will finally ascend to chairman of the tax panel in January. Rep. Rangel will chair a radically altered committee because some of its veteran Republi- can members either retired, as was the case of current committee Chairman Bill Thomas (Calif.- 22), or were defeated in their re-election bids, which is true of second-ranking panel Republican E. Clay Shaw (Fla.-22) and third-ranking Nancy Johnson (Conn.-5). Republican members J.D. Hayworth (Ariz.-5), Melissa Hart (Penn.-4) and Chris Chocola (Ind.-2) were also defeated. Republicans will likely place Wally Herger (Calif..2) or Jim McCrery (La.-4) in the ranking member position for the Committee in the new session. Rep. Rangel is expected to seek passage of that would make permanent the research-and-development tax credit. The incoming chairman also has expressed an interest in expanding the earned income tax credit for low-income wage earners. The following Democrats are expected to chair their respective subcommittees in January-Fortney "Pete" Stark (Calif.-13) to Hearth; Jim McDermott (Wash.-7) to Human Resources; John Lewis (Ga.- 5) to Oversight; and Michael McNulty (N.Y.-21) to Select Revenue Measures. Senate With all 33 Senate races accounted for, Demo- crats will claim the majority in the Senate for the first time in 12 years. The Democrats gained six seats to control the Senate by a 51-49 margin, including two independents, Joe Ueberman (1- Conn.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who will caucus with the Democrats. Despite the two-member majority, Senate Democrats will have little flexibility and strength on partisan issues and will have to reach across the aisle to pass controversial legislation. Continued on Page 11 PAGE 10. PRIORITY FOCUS December 1, 2006 - Ia&ue #46 Visit the league's OffIcial Webslte-www.cacities.org