FAMILIAR TERRITORY

The new junior U.S. Senator from Michigan, Democrat Elissa Slotkin, ended up with some plum committee assignments, being named to panels much like she had held during her time in the U.S. House. When in the House, she was a member of the following committees: Armed Services; Homeland Security and Government Affairs; and Agriculture. In the Senate, she now sits on the Armed Services; Homeland Security and Government Affairs; Veterans’ Affairs; and the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry committees. On the latter panel she takes the post held by former Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, which was a critical spot as far as the farming industry in Michigan is concerned. In the Armed Services panel, she was also assigned to the Cyber Security subcommittee; the Airland subcommittee; and was named the Ranking Member of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee. Michigan’s senior Senator, Democrat Gary Peters, is a member of Armed Services and the three subcommittees with Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who did three tours in Iraq and national security roles at the Pentagon and White House under President Bush and President Obama. She is the first former CIA member to be elected to the Senate.