A moderate Republican was chosen to succeed Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kans.) next year as chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee, the Senate panel responsible for education, when the GOP cleared the way for Sen. James Jeffords (R-Vt.) to claim the committee's top spot.

Education advocates had braced for a possible battle for the leadership slot between Jeffords, who has a liberal-to-moderate record on domestic issues, and Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), who has less seniority on the panel but more conservative credentials. But on December 3, Goats announced he would not seek the chairmanship after conferring with GOP leaders.

"It is important, particularly at this moment, for Republicans to be united as we approach the new session of Congress," Coats said. "We have new leadership and a unique opportunity to advance a Republican agenda."

Nonetheless, Coats said he will play a major role on the panel to ensure it reflects core Republican ideas. "I will continue to play an active role to ensure that the Labor Committee and its leadership reflect the mainstream of Republican conviction," Coats said. Less than two weeks later, he announced he would not run again for his senate seat.

The GOP had to select a new leader for the Labor panel because of Kassebaum's retirement. As a senior Republican on the Labor committee, Coats may end up chairing the panel's subcommittee on education, which will do the bulk of the early work on the Higher Education Act's (HEA) reauthorization.

Jeffords and Coats differ on some issues, particularly President Clinton's direct lending and national service programs used by college students. Jeffords supports both programs, while Coats has criticized the initiatives.

On the other side of Capitol Hill, Republicans are having trouble filling vacancies on the House panel that will oversee HEA reauthorization. The Economic and Educational Opportunities (EEO) Committee still has four GOP vacancies, even after the party tried to recruit incoming freshmen.