Democrats to destroy Burr's bioterrorism panel

The Senate subcommittee charged with overseeing the implementation of a bioterrorism law written by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will be dissolved under the new Democratic leadership.

Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, had been chairman of the Bioterrorism and Public Health Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

In that role, Burr helped usher in sweeping legislation that puts billions of dollars toward public health preparedness for bioterrorism and natural disasters. He also wrote legislation to create an agency for developing vaccines and countermeasures against biological, chemical and radiological threats.

In the minority, Burr would have been ranking member of the subcommittee.

But U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, chairman of the committee, plans to dissolve the subcommittee. He will bring its duties under the umbrella of the full committee.

Laura Caudell, a Burr spokeswoman, said Burr will work to ensure the legislation is fully implemented.

"He is going to remain committed to public health preparedness," she said.

Edwards aide berates Bush

"That's bull," writes David Bonior, Edwards' new campaign manager in a fundraising e-mail message sent this week.

Bonior was referring to President Bush's assertion that Congress does not have the power to stop the proposed escalation of U.S. troops in Iraq.

"I served in Congress for 26 years, and I can assure you that Congress does have the power to stop this escalation -- and it has used that power many times before, including in Vietnam, Lebanon, Nicaragua and Colombia," Bonior writes.

In the letter, Bonior asks for money to place an ad in Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, demanding that Congress use its power to stop the surge in troops.

Etheridge gets subpanel

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, will become chairman of the General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee.

The committee has jurisdiction over programs and markets related to cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feed grains, soybeans, oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, lentils, the Commodity Credit Corp., crop insurance and commodity exchanges.

Etheridge takes the post as Congress begins work on reauthorizing the massive Farm Bill, which provides subsidies to farmers.

New push for Lumbees

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre have reintroduced bills to give federal recognition to the Lumbee tribe of Robeson County.

Dole, a Salisbury Republican, and McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, have been advocating for the tribe for years. Official federal recognition would offer the tribe's 55,000 members federal benefits in areas such as housing.

It also would open the door for the tribe to open a casino along Interstate 95, but tribal leaders have said they do not want to open a casino.

Federal recognition has been opposed by other tribes, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of Western North Carolina.

Wanted: 11th District files

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler has put out an open call to constituents to check in with his office if they had casework pending with Shuler's predecessor, U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor.

Shuler, a Democrat from Waynesville, was elected in November in a bitter race against Taylor, a Republican.

Taylor's office did not work with Shuler's office on a transition and took constituents' case files. Case files belong to the member, but the files are often turned over to a new member.

"This lack of information places any constituent who had an ongoing case in an extremely regrettable and unnecessary situation," said Hayden Rogers, Shuler's chief of staff.

Shuler's 11th Congressional District covers the mountainous counties in far Western North Carolina.

Easley picks two judges

Gov. Mike Easley on Thursday appointed new District Court judges in Wake and Durham counties.

Easley named Lori G. Christian, an assistant county attorney for Wake County, to the District Court bench in Wake County.

Easley named William Andrew "Drew" Marsh III, a partner in the firm of Marsh and Marsh, to the District Court bench in Durham County.