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California Capitol Hill Bulletin
Volume 13, Bulletin 32--SUPPLEMENT -- December 13, 2006

To expand communications between Washington and California, the California Institute provides periodic bulletins regarding current activity on Capitol Hill that affects our state.  Bulletins are published weekly during sessions of Congress, and occasionally during other periods.

A quick FYI re House Appropriations Committee membership:

On Tuesday, December 13, 2006, the House Democratic Steering Committee recommended 10 new members for the Appropriations Committee, bringing the total to 38. Among the 10 were three Californians -- Reps. Barbara Lee (Oakland), Adam Schiff (Burbank), and Mike Honda (San Jose). They will join Reps. Sam Farr (Carmel) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (Los Angeles), thereby raising California's membership on the key money-spending panel Democrats from two to five.

Despite the seemingly sharp boost, California's proportion is not excessive. The state's 34 House Democrats will comprise 15 percent of all Democratic caucus members in the 110th Congress, and 15 percent of 38 Committee Democrats is closer to six than five. The Democrats had not replaced the last three departing California appropriators -- when Vic Fazio retired, Julian Dixon died, or Nancy Pelosi rose in leadership.

On the Republican side, Rep. Jerry Lewis (Redlands) will remain the Ranking Republican in the 110th Congress, and Rep. John Doolittle (Roseville) is expected to remain on the Committee. A third California Republican slot, vacated when former Rep. Randy Duke Cunningham resigned, was not replaced. In the Senate, Dianne Feinstein remains on the Senate Appropriations Committee and will chair the Interior Subcommittee.

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