Election Impact on CDFI Fund Advocacy

We'll Make it Through. When your strategy is bi-partisan, as ours is, every election means you win some and you lose some.

Five Republican Senators who lost their seats in the midterm elections were supporters of our call for $80 million for the CDFI Fund: Allen (VA), Santorum (PA), Burns (MT), Chafee (RI), and Talent (MO). Only one of the five--Chafee--was among the 10 new Republican backers we gained in 2006.

In addition, we lost to retirement our sole Independent (Jeffords of VT), but we expect to pick up Senator-elect Sanders.

Senate Chairs. With the assumption that the Virginia results stand, the new chairs of key Senate Committees and Subcommittees are likely to be:

• Appropriations: Senator Kent Conrad (ND)
• Our Appropriations Subcommittee: Senator Patty Murray (WA)
• Agriculture: Senator Tom Harkins (IA)
• Banking: Senator Chris Dodd (CT)
• Environment and Public Works: Senator Barbara Boxer (CA)
• Finance: Senator Max Baucus (MT)
• Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: Senator Ted Kennedy (MA)
• Small Business: Senator John Kerry (MA)
• Indian Affairs: Senator Byron Dorgan (ND)

House Chairs

• Appropriations: Rep. David Obey (WI)
• Our Appropriations Subcommittee: Rep. John Olver (MA)
• Agriculture: Rep. Collin Peterson (MN)
• Education and the Workforce: Rep. George Miller (CA)
• Financial Services: Rep. Barney Frank (MA)
• Small Business: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY)
• Ways and Means: Rep. Charlie Rangel (NY)

Please keep a watch for more detailed information from Sandra Kerr, our Policy Director. And please note that some of the Committees might change in scope and jurisdiction, as well as name.