Sen. Conrad May Swap Committee Chairs

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., says he may quit as chairman of the Budget Committee to take the helm of the Agriculture Committee instead. Obviously, the agriculture chairmanship would help him bring home the bacon for his constituents, many of whom are farmers, The Hill reports.

“I represent the state of North Dakota, and I’m talking to constituents and talking to colleagues about where do people think it would be most valuable for me to be,” he said. “Those conversations are continuing.”

Reauthorization of the farm bill is scheduled for next year. “It’s hugely important to my state, as you can imagine,” he says. Conrad’s decision will surely be influenced by the fact that he’s up for re-election in 2012 in a Republican-leaning state.