A new job for Pat Roberts?

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Posted by Joel Mathis November 2, 2004 at 1 p.m.

After today's election, Sen. Pat Roberts might get a new job.No, he's not leaving the Senate -- he's not even up for election, like his fellow Republican, Sam Brownback. But Robert's could take on a new role in the Senate.[Reuters][1] reports that Roberts may well be the next chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee."If Republicans retain control of the Senate, Thad Cochran of Mississippi will leave the chairmanship of the Agriculture Committee and switch to heading the Appropriations Committee, say congressional staff workers. Polls generally show Republicans are slightly ahead of Democrats to claim a majority in the Senate. Chairmanship of the U.S. Senate agriculture panel would pass to either Pat Roberts of Kansas, an old farm-policy hand, or to first-termer Saxby Chambliss of Georgia. Roberts' first choice was for another term as Intelligence Committee chairman but he needs approval from party leaders. "Roberts was a leader in deregulating U.S. agriculture in 1996 but also made sure aid was provided when markets nosedived later in the decade."But Reuters says that the job won't be easy: federal money to subsidize farmers is getting scarce."The big 800-pound gorilla is going to be the budget deficit," said farm analyst Otto Doering of Purdue University. "There are no goodies to hand out for agriculture."Other links:Kansas link [In and out of play in the Midwest][2]Pat Roberts link <a [Roberts: Stabilizing Iraq could be helpful in global war on terrorism][3]How to contact As always, you can find information to contact members of the Kansas congressional delegation [here.][4] [1]: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=6677453 [2]: http://ncronline.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2004d/110504/110504b.htm [3]: http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/110204/local_110204004.shtml [4]: http://ljworld.com/extra/where_to_write.html#fed