Rep. DeLauro chairs DNC platform committee

WASHINGTON, May 21 (UPI) -- The Democratic National Committee Friday named Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chair of the party's 16-member platform committee.

Washington attorney Peter Choharis will take executive director position for the committee, after having advised the presidential campaign for Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., on foreign and legal policy, the DNC said.

Three House members -- U.S. Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Hilda Solis, D-Calif. -- will serve with DeLauro.

The other appointees to the committee are Tallahassee Mayor John Marks; Iowa Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge; former Defense Secretary Bill Perry; former HUD Assistant Secretary Roberta Achtenberg; Michigan Education Association President Lu Battaglieri; Clayola Brown of UNITE; New Mexico businessman Bill Garcia; West Virginia AFT President Judy Hale; former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Bill Lann Lee; Kevin O'Connor with the International Association of Fire Fighters; AFL-CIO Public Policy Director Chris Owens; and Attorney Paul T. Williams Jr.

The committee has planned a set of public hearings, beginning Saturday in Portland, Ore., to discuss homeland security.