Sen. Patty Murray seeks top spot on budget committee
SEATTLE (AP) - U.S. Sen. Patty Murray wants to be chairwoman of the Senate Budget Committee.
The Seattle Times reports that Murray announced Thursday she would seek to succeed retiring Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. Murray is currently the budget panel's second-most senior Democrat. She said she plans to give up her position as chairwoman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in exchange, but will retain a seat on the committee.
The budget committee writes an annual blueprint for spending on education, housing, transportation and other discretionary spending by the federal government.
Murray, the No. 4 Senate Democratic leader, co-chaired the bipartisan deficit-reduction "supercommittee" in 2011 that failed to find ways to reduce federal red ink by $1.2 trillion over 10 years. She also sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which allocates money to discretionary programs.
Committee leadership posts will be finalized later this year.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Since she failed before it only makes sense she should chair this committee.
Although, as a disabled veteran, I think it's a good choice for me :)
I thought you had to have a budget before you could have a committee......
@scoreboard  Not if you are a Democrat. A budget is only to let you know how much you over spent.
Ditto to the highest!  She broke Washington State, that is for d_mn  sure. Wouldn't know how to balance a budget if she looked over someone's shoulder. Certainly hasn't in Washington.  She only knows how to kiss a_s  and SPEND.Â
Heaven Help Us.