While the New York City Congressional delegation is celebrating the Christmas and Chanukah holidays in traditional style, they’ve also left room to celebrate nailing down positions of power in the House that they’ve been dreaming of for a long time.

These dreams became a reality last Election Day, when the Dems won control of Congress. Last week the reality became complete when Congressmembers Joseph Crowley and Anthony Weiner were awarded key committee positions that will enable them to play major roles in f u l f i l l i n g t h e i r p a r t y ’ s legislative goals, bring benefits to their constituents and boost their political careers.

Crowley won appointment to the awesome Ways & Means Committee, and Weiner was tapped to join the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Meanwhile, it’s expected momentarily that Congressmember Carolyn Maloney will become chairperson of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee.

Earlier on, Congressmember Gary Ackerman was appointed chairman of the Subcommittee on International Relations in the Middle East.

That leaves only Congressmember Gregory Meeks (Southeast Queens) without a key committee connection, but that possibility is always open. Also, Meeks is assured of playing a bigger role with the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.

The big winner last week was Crowley

Queens/The Bronx). In only his eighth year in the Congress, Crowley, already a Chief Deputy Whip, was appointed to the Ways & Means Committee, one of the most powerful panels in Washington, as it is solely responsible in both the House and Senate for originating tax and revenue legislation.

Ways and Means also gets involved in revenue-related aspects of the Social Security and Medicare systems and other federal assistance programs. Showing his clout, Crowley, the Queens Democratic Party leader, was pushed for

the comm

i t t e e

membership

by

Congressmember

Charles Rangel

(D–Harlem), the incoming

committee chairman.

Commenting on his major appointment, Crowley noted that Ways & Means is unrivaled as the oldest and arguably the most important decision-making panel in Congress, and added: “I embrace this wonderful opportunity to serve on this key committee as a move that will greatly benefit my district and improve the quality of life for my constituents.

“I will take advantage of my position to expand healthcare coverage, protect Social Security and promote job growth. I will also work to reform our tax policy and uplift our economy through better negotiated trade deals that will create more jobs and better employment opportunities in the New York area.”

Weiner, also completing only his eighth term in Congress, said of his new committee that it has the largest jurisdiction in the House with principal legislative oversight of telecommunications, public health, air quality and environmental protection, the nation’s energy policy, and interstate and foreign commerce.

He added, “New York state is the big winner. From fixing Medicaid to dealing with 9/11 health issues and lowering gas prices, the Big Apple’s priorities in D.C. will get even more attention now.”

The last part of that comment sounds like it could be helpful to someone with mayoral ambitions.

Maloney, a 14-year veteran of Congress, has served on the Financial Services Committee, which deals extensively with Wall Street and was ranking Democratic member of the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Matters.

In her pending new subcommittee chairmanship, Maloney would be focused strongly on banks, deposit insurance and the overall safety and soundness of the banking system. The portion of the lawmaker’s district that covers the Upper East Side of Manhattan is loaded with banks.

With the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress, the party is looking forward to making changes in Medicare and Medicaid, making tax changes such as closing loopholes that favor highincome earners and major companies and eliminating the alternative minimum tax.

MEEKS IN CUBA: Over the past weekend, Meeks was in Cuba, the only New Yorker among 10 members of Congress seeking to possibly ease the strained relations between the United States and Cuba. The visit came as Cuban dictator Fidel Castro was recuperating from a serious illness which perhaps had the lawmakers thinking the time was right for a change of policy angled toward more friendly relations.

Meeks told reporters, “We can’t have another 45 years like the last 45. This is a time of opportunity and transition when Fidel gives up the reins of power.”

LIU ACCEPTS ROSIE’S APOLOGY: Television talk show hostess Rosie O’Donnell acceded last week to Councilmember John Liu’s call for an apology for her “stereotypical caricature mocking Asians” for her remarks on “The View” talk show of December 7.

O’Donnell said last Friday she was “trying to be funny, not offensive...it was not intended to mock and I’m sorry if I offended anyone.”

Accepting the apology, Liu (D–Flushing) said, “It was a really stupid stunt, but people are satisfied with her apology. The ‘Ching Chong’ rant was offensive and projected a negative stereotype of Asians. The biggest problem lies in the reality that verbal taunts often escalate into even more hurtful and sometimes violent altercations.

“We’re pleased that Barbara Walters has understood these remarks for what they are and has spoken with O’Donnell. We call on her to inject some constructive dialogue in her television show to help eradicate misunderstandings and bias.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. MAYOR (KOCH): Former Mayor Edward I. Koch celebrated his 82nd birthday on December 12 and, just to show he’s still in the thick of things political, participated in “one of the juiciest power lunches of the week”, (as a New York Times writer described it) with U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Senator Alfonse D’Amato.

Koch said in the article he let D’Amato and Clinton do the talking while he just waved at fellow diners at the posh Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan.

The three dine together once or twice a year, with each taking a turn picking up the tab (this was Clinton’s turn). Most of the meeting was devoted to D’Amato analyzing the 2008 field of presidential hopefuls.

Both Koch and D’Amato predicted Clinton would win the Democratic nomination. Koch said he would support her and she would defeat “Republican ticket of U.S. Senator John McCain and Rudy Giuliani as his vice presidential running mate. D’Amato would not reveal what he thought of her chances against that ticket, but he spoke very highly of Clinton as the Democratic candidate.

D’Amato dismissed Senator Barack Obama as a Clinton opponent, referring to the Illinois lawmaker as “a flavor-of-themonth candidate”, (one of the many who appear and disappear quickly.) D’Amato predicted McCain would be the GOP nominee, but would not say who he is supporting, except that it would be Republican. Koch said Clinton would defeat any Republican.

It was an altogether pleasant lunch, according to writer Patrick Healy.