Yesterday Republican members of the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the below plan to restructure the committee. The plan eliminates only one subcommittee and restructures the jurisdiction of several others. Although the plan is not as far reaching as one adopted earlier this year by the House Appropriations Committee, Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) believes the new structure should enable the Senate and House panels to work smoothly together on the 13 annual spending bills.

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT (8-7)

Senators Bennett, Cochran, Specter, Bond, McConnell, Burns, Craig, Brownback

COMMERCE, JUSTICE, & SCIENCE (8-7) (*increased from 7-6)

Senators Shelby, Gregg, Stevens, Domenici, McConnell, Hutchison, Brownback, Bond.

DEFENSE (10-9)

Senators Stevens, Cochran, Specter, Domenici, Bond, McConnell, Shelby, Gregg, Hutchison, Burns.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (3-2)

Senators DeWine, Cochran, Allard.

ENERGY & WATER (9-8) (*increased from 7-6)

Senators Domenici, Cochran, McConnell, Bennett, Burns, Craig, Bond, Hutchison, Allard.

HOMELAND SECURITY (9-8)

Senators Gregg, Cochran, Stevens, Specter, Domenici, Shelby, Craig, Bennett, Allard.

INTERIOR & RELATED AGENCIES (8-7)

Senators Burns, Stevens, Cochran, Domenici, Bennett, Gregg, Craig, Allard.

LABOR, HHS, & EDUCATION (8-7)

Senators Specter, Cochran, Gregg, Craig, Hutchison, Stevens, DeWine, Shelby.

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH (3-2)

Senators Brownback, DeWine, Allard.

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION & VETERANS AFFAIRS (6-5) (*increased from 5-4)

Senators Hutchison, Burns, Craig, DeWine, Brownback, Allard.

STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS (8-7)

Senators McConnell, Specter, Gregg, Shelby, Bennett, Bond, DeWine, Brownback.

TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, JUDICIARY & HUD (10-9) (*increased from 8-7)

Senators Bond, Shelby, Specter, Bennett, Hutchison, DeWine, Brownback, Stevens, Domenici, Burns.