Washington, DC - Sen. Tom Harkin gave up his chairmanship of the Senate agriculture committee today to take over the committee responsible for health care, food safety regulation, labor law and federal education programs.

    The chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee came open with the death last month of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. Sen. Christopher Dodd, who ran the panel this year during Kennedy's battle with cancer, had first dibs on the chairmanship but passed it up to stay on the Senate banking committee, freeing the spot for Harkin.

    Harkin said at a news conference it was a "daunting prospect to be taking over the Kennedy committee."

    Click here to read more on Senator Harkin taking the lead.