Senator-elect Al Franken will serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Congressional Quarterly reported this afternoon.
Al Franken (NNDB)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) was temporarily holding onto the comedian-turned-politician’s seat on the panel, according to CQ. Franken, a Democrat, claimed the disputed Minnesota seat after the state supreme court ruled today that he received more votes than his Republican challenger, former Sen. Norm Coleman.
The Senate plans to swear in Franken next week following the Fourth of July holiday. In theory, Franken will give the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority. With a united block of 60 Democratic senators, Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) could finally schedule votes on DOJ nominees Dawn Johnsen for the Office of Legal Counsel, Thomas Perez for the Civil Rights Division and Mary L. Smith for the Tax Division.
But Franken’s seating might not be enough to schedule votes on the nominations or push through the long-stalled Johnsen.
Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy (Mass.) and Robert Byrd (W.Va.) have been absent from Congress with severe health problems. Byrd was released from the hospital today after battling a staph infection for a month. It is unclear when he will be back to cast votes. Kennedy is being treated for brain cancer. He has said he will try to come back to Washington this summer to work on health care legislation.
Even if one of the ailing senators is able to cast votes, the DOJ nominations could still be held up. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported the Johnsen nomination to the Senate for consideration on March 19. Byrd was present to vote in the Senate until mid-May. Kennedy was present intermittently throughout March and April to cast votes.
