Dems eye Menendez committee slots

Some junior House Democrats are eyeing the committee assignments once held by former Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who was sworn in as a senator Jan. 17.

Although Menendez did not sit on any of the five “exclusive” committees — Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Rules, and Ways and Means — that are the most coveted among members, the vacancies he created on the International Relations Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee appeal to many members. That’s especially true of freshman and sophomore representatives who may have been disappointed when the slots were apportioned early last year.

Sophomore Rep. Linda S