Sherrod Brown gets spot on Senate spending committee
Plain Dealer – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ohio has gained more clout on a key congressional panel in charge of spending taxpayer money. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, was picked Thursday for a seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The full Senate on Thursday night affirmed Brown, who was picked for the committee assignment by Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Brown joins Ohio's other senator, Republican George Voinovich, on the committee. Voinovich will retire at the end of the year, and the November elections could shake up the committee's makeup in 2011, since the majority party (now Democrats) gets more seats on Appropriations. But this gives Ohio more firepower for now, and puts Brown in a good position if Democrats maintain Senate control.