Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has chosen to stay on as top Democrat of the House Telecommunications Subcommittee instead of becoming ranking member of the House Resources Committee, he has announced.
Markey will leave the House Budget Committee to become a senior member of Resources, which will put him in a good position to chair the full Resources Committee should the Democrats take over the House in 2002. As the Telecom Subcom's senior Democrat, Markey also could become chair of that committee, which he was from 1987-1994, but he is more likely to stake his claim on a full committee chairmanship in the event of a party change.
Chairing the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2002 is unlikely for Markey, because two other Democrats outrank him: Reps. John Dingell (Mich.) and Henry Waxman (Calif.). Markey decided to stay atop the Telecom Subcommittee because he likes and knows the issues, and also because his district, which is north of Boston, includes many technology companies, said a Markey aide.
- Paige Albiniak
