Dodd to stay put as banking panel chairman

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., indicated he will remain Banking Committee chairman after filling in as leader of the health panel.

Dodd planned to announce Wednesday he will keep his banking panel leadership role, opening up the Health Education, Labor and Pensions chairmanship -- vacated by the illness and death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. -- for Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Politico reported Wednesday.

Congressional insiders said they expect Harkin to take the HELP gavel since the Agriculture Committee he currently heads passed a farm bill last year.

If Harkin takes over the helm of HELP, the Agriculture Committee chairmanship could be given to Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., who would leapfrog over three more senior committee members, the Washington publication said.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is next in seniority on the Agriculture panel, but he is Judiciary Committee chairman and not likely to give up that post. Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Max Baucus, D-Mont., also are ahead of Lincoln in seniority, but Conrad is chairman of the Budget Committee and Baucus leads the Finance Committee.