Convention Standing Committee Chairs Named

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Democratic Conventions have 3 Standing Committees: Credentials, Platform, and Rules. What does each of these committees do?

• The Credentials Committee is charged with coordinating issues around the selection of delegates and alternates to the Convention and will likely meet in the summer. The committee will issue a report that is the first official item of business at the Convention.
• The Rules Committee is responsible for proposing the Permanent Rules for the Convention, adopting the proposed Convention agenda and making recommendations for permanent Convention officers - all addressed as the second official item of business at the Convention.
• The Platform Committee is responsible for drafting and recommending a proposed National Platform for approval at the Convention.

Each committee, interestingly enough, has 3 chairs. So as we discuss whether the delegates for Michigan and Florida will be seated, lets see who is in charge of the Credentials Committee that will make the first recommendation:

• Alexis Herman, no endorsement made, U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1997 to 2001, CEO of the 1992 Democratic National Convention. Since 2005, she has served as a Co-Chair of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee and also served as a Co-Chair of the Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling. That would be the Commission that set the up the schedule that Florida and Michigan violated.
• James Roosevelt, Jr, no endorsement made, Co-Chair of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee
• Eliseo Roques-Arroyo, no endorsement made, former Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico

Rules Committee:

• Sunita Leeds,no endorsement made, Chair of the DNC Indo-American Leadership Council Advisory Board
• Mary Rose Oakar, no endorsement made, former Congresswoman, President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
• David Walters,no endorsement made, former Governor of Oklahoma

Platform Committee:

• Patricia Madrid, no endorsement made an Edwards supporter, served two terms as the Attorney General of New Mexico
• Judith McHale, a Clinton supporter, the former President and CEO of Discovery Communications, Inc.
• Deval Patrick, an Obama supporter, Governor of Massachusetts.

A number of other members of the committees have been named. A full list of committee members and biographies is available from the DNCC.