Bloodless Coup

A New Record - Four Women Chairing Standing Committees in the Senate

Before this Congress there had never been more than two female committee chairs in in any session of the US Senate. Now that Tom Harkin will be taking over for the late Ted Kennedy on HELP, it appears likely that there will be four for the remainder of this Congress. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas should succeed Harkin as the chair of Agriculture. She'll join three other women who are currently chairing committees in the Senate - Barbara Boxer on Environment and Public Works, Dianne Feinstein on Intelligence, and Mary Landrieu on Small Business. Of course if Kay Bailey Hutchison resigns to run for governor of Texas there won't even be four women left in the Senate on the other side of the aisle.