WOMEN RULE. While the historical precedent of the first female speaker of the House grabs the headlines, the Dems' newfound grrrl power doesn't end there; as reported in Women's e-News (WeN), four women are poised to lead committees, even the powerful House intelligence committee, on which California's Rep. Jane Harman currently serves as ranking member. (WeN does note, however, that Harman's ascension is in doubt because of "her reportedly sour relationship with Pelosi," and for a while now people have been anticipating Pelosi replacing her with Alcee Hastings.) Other likely female committee chairmen include Louise Slaughter (N.Y.), in line to lead the Rules Committee, Juanita Millender-McDonald (Calif.) of the House Administration Committee, and Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.) of the Small Business Committee.
--Adele M. Stan
