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Harkin to Succeed Kennedy as Health Panel Chair Sen. Tom Harkin, the next most senior Democrat on the Senate panel focused on overhauling the nation's health care system, will fill the seat held on an interim basis by Sen. Chris Dodd. FOXNews.com September 08, 2009 WASHINGTON -- A fierce proponent of the public option and proud, self-identified firebrand liberal will chair the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, formerly held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, FOX News confirmed late Tuesday. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, the next most senior Democrat on the Senate panel focused on overhauling the nation's...

WASHINGTON - Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record), an Ohio Republican implicated in a lobbying corruption investigation, said Sunday he will step aside temporarily as chairman of the House Administration Committee. "Unfortunately it has become clear to me in recent days that the false allegations made against me have become a distraction to the important work of the House Republican Conference and the important work that remains ahead for the House Administration Committee," Ney said in a written statement. That was a reference to a scramble by Republicans in the House and Senate to come up with a new...