Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced on Thursday the Democratic committee assignments for the new congress. The assignments still have to be ratified by the full chamber in January. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., will join the Intelligence Committee, replacing Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Bennet previously championed legislation that would elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a Combatant Command. The Homeland Security Committee will have two new Democratic members. Senator-elects Krysten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., will replace outgoing Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. Current Ranking Member McCaskill will be replaced by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. Sens. Manchin, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Doug Jones, D-Ala., will join the Armed Services Committee to replace Sens. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., McCaskill, and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., all of whom lost their re-election bids. Both Manchin and Duckworth have sponsored cybersecurity-focused legislation. Sinema and Rosen will also join the Commerce Committee to replace Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who are leaving the Committee for other assignments. Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, who has been a strong proponent of improving the U.S. election grid’s cybersecurity posture, will take over as ranking member for Nelson.
