Vito Fossella and the House Commerce Committee

With now 29 Republicans bailing ship and resigning or retiring Vito Fossella is quickly moving up the seniority ranks, by default not qualifications. Take a look at the Republicans ranked by seniority on the House Commerce Committee;

• Joe Barton, Ranking Member, Texas
• Ralph Hall, Texas (potential retirement, age)
• Fred Upton, Michigan
• Cliff Stearns, Florida
• Nathan Deal, Georgia
• Ed Whitfield, Kentucky
• Barbara Cubin, Wyoming (retiring)
• John Shimkus, Illinois
• Heather Wilson, New Mexico (retiring)
• John Shadegg, Arizona (retiring)
• Chip Pickering, Mississippi (retiring)
• Vito Fossella, New York

This list was truncated and their are quite a few members below Vito on this committee

Fossella is quickly moving up the minority ladder. After Fossella became a member of the minority party in 2006 he was forced to reduce his committee membership and choose the House Commerce Committee over the House Financial Services Committee. Clearly this committee assignment appears more important to his career, so consider this another reason to work on taking him out before he gets any kind of power.