Cassidy given HELP Committee seat

Sen.-elect Bill Cassidy (R-La.) will join the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the next congressional term, GOP leadership announced Monday.

The assignment is hardly surprising for Cassidy, a physician and professor of medicine whose campaign against Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) focused largely on healthcare issues.

{mosads}Cassidy will also join the Appropriations; Energy and Natural Resources; Veteran’s Affairs; and Joint Economic panels when he moves to the upper chamber.

Republicans are poised to take a 54-46 Senate majority in January, and as a result, Democrats are losing a seat or two on each committee.

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) will lead the HELP panel with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) succeeding retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in the top Democratic spot.