U.S. Sen. John Kerry's office said Tuesday that it is time to move past prior differences of opinion and U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's efforts this year to help GOP nominee John McCain.

In a caucus meeting Tuesday morning, Democrats voted by secret ballot to allow Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent, to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Government affairs committee. However, Lieberman will lose his seat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.

In a statement to PolitickerMA.com, Brigid O'Rourke, Kerry's spokeswoman, said the caucus decided to move forward. "The Democratic caucus voted today by secret ballot and the result of that vote was to put aside old differences," she said.

O'Rourke also highlighted President-elect Barack Obama's call for leniency toward Lieberman.

"President-elect Obama asked for forgiveness for Sen. Lieberman, the caucus has made a decision to censure his comments and strip of his membership on the EPW Committee, and it's time to move on," she said.

O'Rourke declined to comment on how Kerry voted. Politico reported, however, that Kerry spoke out in support of Lieberman.

O'Rourke did acknowledge the many differences Kerry has had with Lieberman.

"It's no secret that Sen. Kerry and Sen. Lieberman have had major differences about the war in Iraq, and it's no secret that Sen. Kerry campaigned against Sen. Lieberman in Connecticut in 2006," O'Rourke said. "Obviously they differed very strenuously about who should be commander in chief this election, and they debated those differences very forcefully on [NBC's] Meet the Press."