Senator Menendez appointed to key committees

Newly elected New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez has been appointed to some extremely important committees, none more so than Senate Foreign Relations, chaired by Sen. Biden of Delaware. Menendez, who voted against giving President Bush the authority to invade Iraq, did his homework and now will work to bring the troops home. The newly constituted committee will do what the GOP-controlled committee was loath to do -- provide oversight of Bush administration foreign policy. He also will be on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which should help increase funding for affordable housing and mass transit, which have suffered under President Bush but are essential to New Jersey. We can be confident that Menendez will be an active member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, working to implement renewable energy, instead of rewarding big oil companies with tax cuts and business incentives. Our natural resources, devastated by cuts in funding with little or no notice given by the administration, may now be given a chance to recover. Republicans have a reputation for fiscal responsibility, but for six years the president and Congress have enormously increased the national debt. The Democrats, including Menendez as a member of the Budget Committee, intend to require that spending be covered by a funding source, which may prompt Congressional Republicans to return to their fiscal roots. We hope Sen. Menendez will play a major role in restoring Congress to its rightful position of oversight and in not ceding any additional powers to the executive branch. Bettie J. Reina, Milmay - Daily Journal, January 8, 2007