Republicans on Tuesday announced selections for opposition leaders on the Senate’s evenly divided committees — leaning mostly on old hands who will face off against Democratic picks to lead the panels.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who is known for readily bridging past political divides — as he did to work closely with former President Donald Trump — will be the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, which is being chaired by socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.
Graham, like Sanders, is a veteran member of the committee.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) will be the GOP leader on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, chaired by conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who last week voted to oppose President Biden’s decision to kill the Keystone XL oil pipeline, before later voting to undo his vote.
Many of the ranking member slots went to Republicans who chaired the committees last year when Republicans held the Senate.
Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe will remain the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will retain his top slot on the Senate intelligence committee and Idaho Sen. Jim Risch will remain atop the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby will continue to help lead the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Senator Tim Scott steps off the Senate subway on his way to a vote in the Senate. Getty ImagesSome Republicans got new leadership gigs.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, in office since 2013, was elevated to be ranking member of the Senate committee on aging, replacing Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, first elected in 2010, will be the top Republican on the Senate small business committee, replacing Rubio.
A power-sharing agreement in the evenly divided Senate gives Democrats control, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking 50-50 ties in their favor. Committees also are evenly divided, but ties result in legislation passing to the floor.
