Maryland: Chris Dodd

With major business pending before it, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) chairs will need someone to take the reins during his medical absence.

But because it is customary that a senator chair no more than one committee at a time, Politico reports that the chairmanship may very well fall to fourth-in-line member, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Baltimore).