Angus King’s committee assignments in the U.S. Senate place him in a position to protect and advance Maine’s interests. He is set to serve on four committees when he’s sworn in on Jan. 3: Rules, Armed Services, Intelligence and Budget.
Being on the Committee on Rules and Administration will give King an opportunity to do what he has said he wants to do: “move the Senate toward functionality.” The committee will provide him with a chance to be part of recommending improvements to the operation of Congress and how it relates to other government branches. It has jurisdiction over filibuster rules and campaign finance — two areas in dire need of reform.
It’s helpful for a Maine senator to serve on the Committee on Armed Services to fight for Bath Iron Works, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and other Maine defense contractors, which employ thousands of Mainers. The committee has jurisdiction over a number of defense-related areas, including the pay and benefits of members of the Armed Forces and development of weapons systems.
As an independent, King’s balanced approach could aid the Select Committee on Intelligence, which hears about covert actions and gets regular updates about intelligence being collected around the world on matters like Middle East stability, potential terrorist threats and Iran’s nuclear program. He will continue Maine’s representation on the committee, with the departure of Sen. Olympia Snowe, and will be part of making recommendations to the Senate on presidential nominees to serve in intelligence positions. He may also weigh in on legislation — such as on laws about the surveillance of Americans.
The Budget Committee drafts Congress’ annual budget plan. Its responsibility is not to prepare legislation that enacts specific policies but to set a broad layout of overall revenue and spending levels. King may therefore be a key player in creating a framework for long-range deficit reduction.
Clearly, making positive changes will require more than key committee assignments. King’s influence will also depend on the connections he makes with other senators and his ability to identify areas where compromise is actually possible. But King will be off to a good start in the Senate on these committees, particularly as a freshman.
I only wish I could be as optimistic as the BDN…
That picture looks like Harry instructing Angus how he expects his shoes shined.
Oh, poor poor TeaWHINERS. You lost the election so you have to cry like the pathetic WEAKLING crybabies you are. You LOST. And you LOST because you are LOSERS who listen to TeaWHACKY idiocy like Pills Limbaugh and FAKE NOISE NETWORK. So you might as well save your smarmy little pathetic TeaCryBaby remarks and figure out how to save your sad little TeaLOSER party from electoral extinction.
I’d say you’re insulting your own intelligence, but name calling is a clear indication of lacking any.
Is this the same or different than the liberals complaining for 2 years about the mural and Lepage’s daughter?
THE BUDGET COMMITTEE!!! What the hell is that???? Centainly nothing in the Senate…………………….
Perhaps he can find out why Obama let those people die in Benghazi and then lied about it.
How about all the lives Bush/Cheney wasted in their search for phantom WMD’s. What makes those 4 deaths more important than their thousands of deaths?
The ones that die because Obama keeps them there. Promise to get them out, soldiers still die there. Cover up in Benghazi
Perhaps we can find out why the hypocrites on the right don’t care that went went to war over a lie/bad information and yet Benghazi is the worst thing ever.
A CIA fiasco, one of the worst.
Kinda like Abu Ghraib again. The public faces get to suffer; the intel folks who caused it get to walk.
It would also be interesting if people were allowed to speak with the Americans that survived the attack. It case you didn’t know a congressman was denied access to speak with them.
It is completely ODDBALL and DELUSIONAL NONSENSE like this statement that caused your TeaWhacky Party to get CRUSHED five weeks ago.
Perhaps he can find out why the republicans cut security funding for embassies for the last 3 years. Perhaps he can find out why the republicans consistently try to make up scandals.
Of course any “republican” cut to State Department funding would also have to be approved by a Democratic Senate and signed by a Democratic President.
Bills originate in the republican controlled House. No doubt it was in an overall funding for the year. The President does not have line-item veto power, so must either accept the entire bill or reject it. So, again, why did the republicans reduce spending for defense of embassies for 3 yrs in a row?
To be honest, I don’t know, other than part of some budget reduction swirl. I certainly take issue with my Rs about it. But again…if it were so horrible, why did the D Senate and WH approve it?
It passed most likely because it was part of a larger budget bill. The President does not have line-item veto power, so cannot remove a single issue. The republicans put it in the bill to begin with, so obviously did not think much about the lives of our embassy staff. They should answer for that if they are going to fabricate a crisis about Benghazzi.
Don’t get me wrong…it is an issue, and both sides should answer for it. I’ll assume that the President’s budget submission had higher funding for State Dept security, it was reduced by the House, approved by the Senate. Did the State Department requests reprogramming? Was it rejected? We don’t know, and we won’t.
Remember the federal budget is a huge, political beast…why was the National Science Foundation’s budget increased in FY12 while, perhaps, reducing consulate security? Evil Rs? Not really.
Hindsight is 20/20, eh? No line item veto… A non-starter…
I actually favor a line item veto. The Pork Masters on the Hill, hiding behind Framers’ intent, will never allow it.
“Balanced approach” my butt. He wouldn’t get a Democratic seat on the Committee on Rules and Administration without some firms promises to Harry Reid.
Of course not… That’s how it is done. It is easy to be balanced these days when separating ones self from the nonsense the GOP shovels out. They are not serious about ANY policy… It is all about trying to gain power… that is slipping from them for all the duplicity, dishonesty, ridiculous power grabbing agends they embrace instead of offering real policy that advances more than just their narrow money base and social issue base. The GOP has been its own worst enemy.
“depend on the connections he makes with other senators ” Caucus with Dems, with that picture we already see the connections.