By Bart Jansen CQ Staff
Democrats in the Senate are more than ready for Al Franken to join their ranks.
In anticipation of the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in Frankens favor his partys leaders reserved spots for him on four committees including those taking up the health care overhaul and the Supreme Court nomination.
The expected court ruling affirming that Franken defeated Republian Norm Coleman was handed down Tuesday.
Franken could be sworn in as early as Monday the next day the Senate is in session but no decision has been made said Jim Manley a spokesman for Majority Leader Harry Reid D-Nev.
Franken already has a Senate chief of staff and state director in place working without pay. And he has been conducting interviews to fill other staff positions.
Drew Littman who previously worked for Sen. Barbara Boxer D-Calif. has moved to Washington to become Frankens chief of staff. Alana Petersen who previously worked for Rep. James L. Oberstar D-Minn. will serve as Frankens Minneapolis-based state director.
You cant hire people and put them in offices but you can decide who you want to have in place when the time comes to pull the trigger" spokesman Jess McIntosh said in a recent interview.
Franken who has made occasional visits to the Capitol since last falls election has been meeting with his anticipated colleagues-to-be and boning up on the Senate agenda.
He talks to his future colleagues quite a bit to keep abreast of whats going on" McIntosh said.
Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has been temporarily filling the seat the Democrats reserved for Franken on the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee which has spent two weeks working on a complicated health-care overhaul that is expected to be completed July 10. The work on that bill has taken so long that Franken might still be able to participate.
Franken had argued for the urgency of resolving the court case because of his interest in participating in the health debate which Democrats call their top domestic priority.
In addition Ron Wyden of Oregon has been serving temporarily in Frankens place on the Judiciary Committee which has a hearing scheduled July 13 on President Obamas Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Democrats hope to confirm her before the August recess.
Two other committee vacancies have been held open for Franken on the Special Aging and Indian Affairs panels.
Greg Vadala Bennett Roth and Kathleen Hunter contributed to this story.
